How is Climate Change Affecting Your Allergies?
Have your allergies been worse lately? There are many climate induced factors that could be affecting your sinuses. Pollen counts have been steadily increasing over the last 20+ years, this is due to higher temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air. Scientists predict that average pollen counts in 2040 will be more than double of what they were in 2000, so what does this mean?
First, climate change variably affects the production, and protein composition of pollen and fungal spores. The way that pollen is transported and dispersed can also be affected by several changing meteorological factors such as rainfall, and wind. Climate changes may also impact the pollen season of trees and weeds by extending the pollen season and increasing the amount of pollen produced. You can see in the graph below that since 1970 to 2017, the growing season has increased by 100 days, ultimately increasing the allergy season.
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Climate change can also result in an increase of severe storms and flooding. Flooding can cause mold build up in places like restaurants or other buildings which could also trigger an allergic reaction.
Who is More Susceptible?
Some groups are more inclined to have allergic reactions to these types of triggers. These groups include people with allergic disorders such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. Some other groups would be children, the elderly, or anyone else who may have preexisting reactive airway diseases. Children who have Hay Fever can be especially susceptible as an increase of pollen can cause their allergic reactions to become worse. Greenhouse gases in general are also capable of triggering respiratory symptoms in people with asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease, so it’s important to pay attention to what we are putting in the atmosphere
Conclusion
As long as the impacts of climate change continue, temperatures will continue to increase along with the growing season, and we will continue to see an increase in allergic reactions. If climate change does not affect you personally, it is important to take the extra step and think about who around you it may be affecting.
Sources:
Global Climate Change and Society 