Knoxville (WVLT) - For the third time in five years, Knoxville has been named the worst place in the country to live for asthma sufferers.

The list, published by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, lists Knoxville at the top for several reasons such as higher than average annual pollen levels, high air pollution, lack of "100% smoke free" laws, and patient over use of asthma rescue medications.

The top ten list includes:
1) Knoxville, TN
2) Tulsa, OK
3) Milwaukee, WI
4) Atlanta, GA
5) Memphis, TN
6) Allentown, PA
7) Charlotte, NC
8) Greenville, SC
9) St. Louis, MO
10) Greensboro, NC

The foundation says more than 20 million children and adults live with asthma all over the U.S., making it one of the most common and costly diseases.

Experts agree that people can't move away from their asthma since every city in America has a variety of risk factors.

Instead, people should work with an asthma specialist to have a good asthma management plan no matter where the live.

For more on this list, you can visit The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's website at http://www.asthmacapitals.com/