Allergy Season Gets a Boost From Climate Change

Apart from the devastating respiratory effects of COVID-19, Americans are also experiencing one of the worst pollen allergy seasons this spring. And estimates based on a recent study explain why.  

The results published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) point to climate change as the main culprit behind recent years’ allergy season spikes.

In fact, increased global temperatures impact pollen allergies in three negative ways:

• a prolonged pollen seasons
• bigger concentrations of pollen
• shifting in the movements of the airborne masses of pollen, enabling them to reach larger geographic areas

These changes make allergy symptoms for sufferers worse over time, resulting in more cases of allergy-caused asthma, sinus or ear infections, and other complications. 

There are also more severe manifestations of the classic allergy symptoms, such as:    

• runny nose
• itchy eyes
• sneezing
• nasal congestion
• sore throat
• cough
• fatigue
• difficulty breathing

That said, besides some symptoms coinciding with the signs of a COVID-19 infection, there’s also a suspicion that pollen allergy makes people more susceptible to catching it. 

Plus, pollen allergies can make you more sensitive to dust and mites. Hence, sleeping on an organic mattress might be a good idea.

Nevertheless, pollen allergy symptoms reduce sleep quality in over half of those concerned. 

A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology even confirms the link between allergic rhinitis and snoring in children. 

Once seen as cute and inoffensive, we know that childhood snoring is linked to a myriad of learning and behavioral difficulties.

Considering all this, the latest figures of the allergy season trends are pretty worrying.

Namely, in the last 30 years, the concentration of airborne pollens has augmented by over 21%. And if this wasn’t bad enough, the allergy season is now 20 days longer than it was back in 1990.