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Allergy Season is Getting Worse
One in five Americans are allergic to pollen. According to scientists, as temperatures get warmer pollen season gets longer and longer. Since 1996, pollen in the atmosphere has doubled — and by 2060 it could double again. Allergy related medical expenses cost Americans between $3.4 billion and $11.2 billion, and lead to 20,000 hospital visits, every year.
Allergy sufferers are having a rough time the last few springs. If you're amongst them, and if you think it's getting crueler, you're correct–and climate change is at least partly to blame. Warming climate has had far more severe costs, such as the ensuing flooding of whole coastal cities. On a personal level, though, pollen allergies make people despondent. When springtime comes and trees burst into buds, some of us shut all the windows and huddle inside.
Pollen is an allergy trigger for 20 percent of Americans, prompting sneezing and runny noses, itchy, watery eyes, coughing and scratchy throats. Globally, seasonal allergies affect up to 30 percent of people, reports Smithsonian. Severe allergy seasons are already underway in southern states — bringing portentous yellow clouds of pollen — and the Midwest is bracing for the worst following a predominantly harsh winter. When spring starts later, it can mean various tree species bloom at the same time, making for a tough time for allergy sufferers, according to Accuweather. Global warming is causing pollen counts to increase every year and persisting pollen-producing seasons, growing seasonal allergies.
Add seasonal allergies to the list of things climate change is making worse. It's not just in your head: Your allergies are getting worse.
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