I've lived in LA for 5 years now. My symptoms started 2 years ago here in LA, I never had issues before this in my 22 years of life.

Now, I have a life decision to make. I am going to grad school, and have a chance to get out of LA. Although most people say it's not the smog that is making me sick, I just can't shake the feeling sometimes that maybe it is LA and its terrible air quality that is making me sick. However, the grad school I do want to attend the most is here in LA, which would mean many more years in this city.

I do have the chance to move to "cleaner" cities (which would probably be anywhere else in the country). However, I do not want to do so and find out that my symptoms had nothing to do with the bad air in LA at all.

LA does have very moderate weather and is relatively dry. It seems as though harsh cold and humidity is what really makes asthma worse, so maybe LA is not as bad as I think.

Of course, the funny thing is I've been fine during the winters here (but then again I'd hardly describe the winters in SoCal as harsh).

So I don't know what to do in this situation. Ideally I'd like to stay here, but not if it is going to jeopardize my health.

Hi boolase,
I can offer this advice since I've been a So Cal native, I moved out of So Cal to Nor Cal thinking it would make my asthma better and it didn't. That being said, my asthma is worse since moving back to LA, but no matter what area you live in you will eventually become sensitized to the allergens in that are, yes you may have a honeymoon period which I did have but then the asthma came right back full force. I would suggest talking to your dr about it and I'm sure they'd probably tell you the choice is yours but moving can't guarantee you better health.

Also since you are in LA and if you aren't happy with your asthma control have you thought of being seen at UCLA, there's some great docs there, that's where I'm seen and I'm extreamly happy with them.