If you can read these words through a haze of pollen and Benadryl, it probably won't surprise you to learn that San Antonio is one of the worst cities in the United States when it comes to allergens. Third-worst, in fact, according to a new report by review site House Fresh.

The southern continental United States and Hawaii rank very high thanks to an unfortunate set of geographic factors. The increased heat (especially with climate change) means longer growing seasons, while the humidity promotes mold growth. It's a plant and fungus paradise out there for much of the year, blowing a variety of irritants straight into the mucus membranes of suffering Texans.

House Fresh analyzed pollen count data for the three main offenders: tree, grass, and ragweed. They then averaged the data across 970 cities on a 1 - 10 scale. The worst city is Laredo, with a total score of 9.11, but San Antonio is close behind with 8.37. All of Texas is pretty bad, earning 7.96, which is at least better than Oklahoma, which is the worst in the nation at 9.18.

If you want to flee the a-pollen-ocalypse, you'll have to head north to Minneapolis, Boston, Milwaukee, Cleveland, or Manchester, New Hampshire. They ranked the best.

The good news is that Texas fares far better on the indoor allergen index. Pet dander, mold (again), and dust mites can often be as severe an irritant as pollen, though the mighty air conditioning that is omnipresent in the south helps a lot. No Texas city ranks in the top five of worst indoor allergen locations, and the entire state is near the middle of the pack overall. It's certainly not doing as well as the colder midwestern states, but it's heaps better than almost every state in the old Confederacy.

This may or may not be a comfort to someone who feels like they are trying to remove their own brain through their nose via sneezing, but at least you're not alone. Regardless, allergy outbreaks can still have tremendous negative impacts on health. Asthma, sinus infections, and loss of sleep are all common side effects of prolonged allergy attacks. If symptoms continue to trouble you, seek a doctor for relief. Or, possibly, move to Nevada.