<p>Wash U was one of my top schools, but in December i was diagnosed with asthma. I just read an article that St. Louis in one of the top ten cities to avoid if you have asthma. Are there any curent students with asthma that woud like to comment?</p>
<p>I’m sure this will vary significantly from person to person. Surely, people go to Wash U and live in St Louis (I mean, it has 3-4 million people) with asthma. Depends how severe your condition is and what triggers it. I’m not a doctor and don’t know much about this, but I’d imagine if you were diagnosed at age 17 then your condition <em>probably</em> isn’t bad enough to avoid/choose a city based on the condition. Last year, St Louis passed a no-smoking ban in bars and restaurants, and it was implemented in January of this year. I’d imagine that will reduce St Louis on the ranking a bit. </p>
<p>Wash U’s campus is entirely smoke free… even the outdoor areas around buildings on campus. You have to leave campus to have a smoke. If second-hand smoke is a significant trigger of your asthma, then you’ll be fine here. </p>
<p>Pollen supposedly gets bad here in April and May. If you’re accepted, come visit in April during accepted student visit days and see how badly it affects you, if at all. Then you’ll know for sure! Definitely talk to your doctor, though, and figure out what causes your condition to flare up.</p>
<p>The humid summer was always a problem for me - until I began taking Singulair daily. I’ve since moved but ALWAYS take an inhaler with me when I visit, no matter the time of year. St.Louis is a wonderful city and WashU is a great school, you will be able to manage your asthma. Please don’t let this deter you from what I consider a great choice!</p>
<p>Thanks for the input! Now I just have to wait and see if I get in.</p>
<p>I, as an adult, lived in St. Louis for five years and had the most terrible asthma of my life there. The spores are swept in from the Plains in August and September, and mold counts go sky-high. The other side of that coin is that, because of the asthma problems there, many good specialists practice in the area.</p>
<p>I don’t have full-blown asthma, but I do have severe outdoor allergies and have to use an inhaler/other meds from time to time. I’m sorry to say that St. Louis is horrible if you’re allergic/react to pollen, ragweed, etc. My eyes were bloodshot every single morning for a month and I couldn’t wear contacts for most of spring semester. I’ve already developed a bit of a cough and the trees aren’t even budding yet! I’d just suggest a really strong arsenal of medication - hopefully allergies won’t keep you out of a great school! We also have an allergist on staff at Student Health Services if that helps…</p>