Allergies in Argentina

Although Argentina is a country of awe-striking beauty, expatriates who are prone to allergies must be ready for dealing with a country where the weather changes from region to region quickly.

Expatriates who are prone to allergies will want to know that Argentina’s weather patterns may trigger a reaction. For example, the city areas of Buenos Aires and Pampas have generally temperate weather, which means really cold winters and very humid summers. The deserts of Cuyo on the other hand have really dry summers and moderately cold but equally dry winters. Going further up in elevation, the region of the Andes, have cool summers and harshly cold winters. The Patagonia region has almost the same weather, but extreme shifts in temperature are to be expected in a single day. 

With all these weather changes come allergies, and the most common form of allergies for adults and kids is related to the irritation of the nasal passages. Allergic rhinitis is a common complaint of Argentineans. In a survey done in the country about 23% of these nasal allergies have led to asthma, with a significant 42% having themselves and their children go through a skin test to diagnose the allergies. Most private health insurance in Argentina provides coverage, but it is always best to check with your insurance provider first before signing up for the test. The survey also shows that 62% of its respondents say that the most common allergy trigger for them is the climate and more often than not, the humid weather. A notable number of them, around 61%, also point out to dust as another trigger. 

Expatriates are definitely not spared from these allergies, so having a proper health insurance coverage is important to ensure proper treatment in case some specialist visits would be needed.