Why your allergies are lasting longer each year
Why your allergies are lasting longer each year
Seasonal allergy symptoms arrive sooner, thanks to climate change
Climate change cause for extended allergy season and increase in pollen production.
- Climate change is causing allergy seasons to start earlier and last longer.
- Increased carbon dioxide levels lead plants to produce more pollen, which is also more allergenic.
- Allergenic plants are expanding their geographic range due to the warming climate.
Symptoms of climate change, including rising global temperatures, might be extending allergy season and causing allergy symptoms to last longer.
Lily Hwang, a physician with Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, said that in the past, the season would start in early March when tree pollen began to bloom. Now, she said doctors are “seeing it start in February. … So we’re definitely seeing it sooner than we did in the past.”
A rotorod machine is used by trained technicians at Atlanta Allergy & Asthma to conduct the daily pollen count. Pollen counts, depending on the plant, can range from:
- Trees: Low 0–14; Moderate 15–89; High 90–1,499; Extremely high 1,500+
- Grass: Low 0–4; Moderate 5–19; High 20–199; Extremely high 200+
- Weeds: Low 0–9; Moderate 10–49; High 50–499; Extremely high 500+
Pollen is made up of grains or tiny seeds of flowering plants, trees, and grasses. These particles can be carried by the wind and may trigger symptoms — or none at all — depending on exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More: What is climate change doing to your body? Find out the impacts here.
Hwang said there is research nationwide, particularly at universities, focused on the impacts of climate change.
“These studies reveal that the increase in carbon dioxide is lengthening pollen seasons and increasing pollen production,” she said. “Plants exposed to higher carbon dioxide produce more pollen — and more allergenic pollen. These are things we weren’t aware of until more recently.”
A warming climate also allows allergenic plants to expand their geographic range, especially north, Hwang said, extending the locations and number of people impacted by pollen allergies.
“Studies show that pollen output per plant has increased,” she said. “With carbon dioxide rising, each plant that produces pollen is now producing even more pollen. And I’m sure many people don’t know that.”
Large ‘pollen bomb’ caught on camera, see video
A yellowish, cloud of pollen was seen being released from a tree in Middle Tennessee as allergy season nears.
Dr. Kathleen May, division chief of allergy, immunology, and pediatric rheumatology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, said Augusta is currently in peak tree pollen season, with different species pollinating at different times.
“In the spring, those peaks are all moving earlier and starting to overlap with each other,” May said earlier this month. “What’s interesting is that when I look at historical pine pollen data from more than 10 years ago, the peak was in early April. We’re not even to mid-March, and we’re probably already seeing pine pollen peaking in the next few days.”
What can you do for pollen allergies?
Pollen allergy symptoms to watch for include itchy eyes, congestion, post-nasal drainage, coughing, and wheezing.
“If you can get ahead by knowing what you’re allergic to and taking medicine before allergy season, it makes a big difference in how you feel,” May said. “Hopefully, people who are tree-sensitive have already been on their medicine. And grass pollen also starts up right now.”
Allergy testing is one way to know for sure what you’re allergic to and how to treat it. A common method is the skin prick test, which involves placing small drops of allergens on the skin and pricking the surface to observe any reaction.
“If you’re a tree-allergic or grass-allergic person, you may want to manage outdoor activities,” Hwang said. “If you’re a runner, you may not want to run early in the morning. Make sure you shower when you get home. You can also try nasal saline rinses; rinsing your nose out can remove a lot of irritants like pollen.”
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.
Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@usatodayco.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.