Climate change is making plants produce more pollen for longer periods every year. Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere act as a fertilizer for plants that produce pollen, leading to a significant increase in pollen production. Also, research indicates that pollen seasons are becoming longer by approximately 0.9 days on average over the last 20 years. That means longer allergy seasons, with people globally experiencing more severe and long-lasting allergy symptoms than ever before. Especially those who are already allergic and have asthma are significantly affected by this issue. Worsened asthma and overall negatively affecting well-being in the long term can be brought about by prolonged allergy symptoms.
There are so many misconceptions about pollen allergies, but one of the most common ones is that it is merely a nuisance. Symptoms people think of when it comes to this are mild and short-term symptoms of a runny and stuffy nose or an itchy throat, which isn’t wrong. In spite of that, when allergy symptoms are untreated or extreme, they can lead to serious health issues such as severe asthma attacks, structural damage to sinuses, and ear infections. Allergy symptoms have a negative impact on sleep as well, meaning that pollen allergies affect quality of life, too.
Pollen allergies can significantly grow worse for people globally because of climate change. A warming climate increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through several positive feedback loops, causing even further warming and carbon dioxide. As these levels of carbon dioxide increase, they lead to higher pollen counts (producing more pollen per plant).
The warmer environment also makes it ideal for a longer freeze-free period: the length of time between the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze. This basically means that it allows for pollen to be produced in earlier times of the year and into later times of the year, making the allergy season longer.
It may be easy to assume that if pollen is harmful to health, people can just easily stay away from it. Whether it is by staying indoors or otherwise in an effort to do so, it is nearly impossible for people to totally avoid pollen. Pollen can travel long distances by wind and find its way into clothes and hair. Although staying indoors and closing windows can be a good solution for this, it is important to know that it does not mean no chance of exposure to pollen. This proves why longer pollen seasons are such an issue because allergy symptoms are caused along with it, and it is difficult to turn that reality around since climate change is a problem requiring long-term effort to solve.
It is crucial that people, especially those with allergies and asthma, take extra precautions by following pollen predictions, taking medications, and keeping air filters at home. People who are not allergic should also take precautions because anyone can get pollen allergies at later ages, despite the myth that they won’t get it if they haven’t as a child, and it can also worsen, possibly as pollen seasons become longer.
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