How climate change is worsening your allergies in WA - The Seattle Times

How climate change is worsening your allergies in WA | The Seattle Times

Cherry blossoms are starting to bloom and the end of The Big Dark is nigh — but it’s hard to celebrate with a stuffy nose and itchy eyes.

Allergy season is here and if it feels worse than years before, you’re not wrong.

Rising temperatures from climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are leading to a prolonged, intensifying pollen season across North America, says Climate Central, a nonprofit that researches and reports on climate science.

With warmer conditions arriving sooner in winter and staying later in fall, the “growing season” — or the time between the last freeze in spring and first freeze in fall — is expanding, leading to longer allergy seasons. To add to it, high levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are spurring plant growth and raising pollen concentrations in the air, exacerbating seasonal allergies.

So during those nice weather spells, when it’s sunny and windy, not too hot or not too cold, there’s more pollen circulating everywhere. That means itchy swollen eyes, runny noses, scratchy throats and headaches.

Climate Central found the growing season had lengthened since 1970 for 80% of the than 200 cities across the U.S. it analyzed.

In Seattle, the growing season grew by a little over two weeks, or 17 days, to a little over eight months, the longest stretch in the Pacific Northwest.

In more than 50 locations including Spokane and Yakima, the season grew by about a month.

Meanwhile, Bend, Oregon, is now tied with Reno, Nevada for first place. The growing season there has increased by about three months since the 1970s.

While this may be a mild inconvenience to some, a longer, more intense pollen season bears serious consequences for those with respiratory conditions like asthma, known to disproportionately burden low-income, Black and brown communities.

In 2021, the CDC found the number of kids with allergies grew over previous decades. About 1 in 5 children now report a seasonal allergy, and Black kids report the highest rates.

Still, the Emerald City is actually one of the least challenging allergy capitals in the U.S., according to a 2023 report by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

In a comparison of 100 most populated U.S. cities on spring and fall pollen scores, the use of over-the-counter allergy medicines and board-certified allergists/immunologists, Seattle ranks 99. Last year it ranked 100.

Cold, wet rainy days help Seattle stay somewhat hospitable in allergy season.

Light, steady rain showers wash the pollen away, keeping it from circulating in the air, reducing allergy symptoms.

However, for those sensitive to grass, weed, dust and mold allergies, the rain may not be so helpful, particularly during sudden, heavy downpours, says AAFA.

If it rains when the grass and weed pollen count is high, drops can hit the ground and break up clumps of pollen into smaller particles, quickly dispersing these and causing a sudden rise in allergy and allergic asthma symptoms.

Tips to stay ahead of your allergies

The AAFA offers these recommendations:

- Start taking allergy medication before pollen season begins. Most allergy treatments work best when they prevent your body from releasing histamine and other chemicals that cause symptoms.
- Track the local pollen index. Use it as a guide to limit outdoor activities and keep windows closed when pollen counts are high. This will reduce the amount of allergens you inhale and help your symptoms.
- Use central air conditioning or air purifiers with a certified asthma and allergy-friendly filter and/or HEPA filtration to cut down indoor airborne allergens entering the home through doors, windows, clothes or pets.
- Wear sunglasses and cover your hair when going outside to help keep pollen out of your eyes and off your hair. Shower daily before going to bed to remove pollen from your body and keep it off your bedding.
- Change and wash the clothes you wear outside. Rinse your bedding in hot, soapy water once a week. Use a dryer or dry your laundry inside the house instead of an outdoor line.
- Limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time outdoors. Wipe furry animals off when they come inside or bathe them weekly if appropriate.