TOLEDO, Ohio —
If it feels like you are suffering longer and more severely from springtime allergy symptoms like itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing, it is not just your imagination.
Allergists say that warming temperatures and other environmental factors have made seasonal allergens such as tree pollen, mold and other spores worse over the past several decades.
We all have the uncomfortable feeling that allergies bring during the spring season. Seasonal allergies may seem like a little more than a nuisance, but weather has a bigger impact than many people realize.
We all feel it in the air, with watery eyes, sneezing, and sniffles. With spring in full swing, the warmer weather and sunnier days open the opportunity for outdoor activities, but also seasonal allergies as well.
"This week is when I think we started to see things really exploding because everybody knows it’s been really nice for the last week or so. The sun’s been shining and you’re seeing all the blooms on the trees," Avram Derrow, an allergist with ProMedica said. "When you’re starting to see those trees bloom, that means that even the trees that don’t flower are also blooming and those are the ones that are releasing the pollen into the air."
But could the mild winter and warmer temperatures elevate allergy and pollen levels? Derrow said, yes.
"Milder winters, we will see things blooming earlier. If you remember, we had some really nice days and weeks in February and March as well, and so we were seeing some blooming even then," Derrow said. "We do start to see some of the stuff that starts earlier and lasts longer."
And you know all that rain we had last week? Yes, Derrow said it was probably a pretty rough couple of days for allergy sufferers.
"Rain definitely can change both the humidity and the temperature in the air. That can be irritating to some people," Derrow said. "It does kick up some pollens and also mold spores can be kicked up by rain as well."
If you're suffering, Derrow suggests talking to your doctor. You can likely take an over-the-counter antihistamine or nasal spray, or maybe even both at the same time. But either way, you should know what you're dealing with.
"I encourage people to talk to their doctors about potential treatment options. But there are a lot of over-the-counter treatment options for allergies, including antihistamine tablets and various nose sprays. They can talk to their doctor or pharmacist about that," Derrow said. "I recommend seeing an allergist if you think that you have allergies because some people have allergy-type symptoms that aren't necessarily allergies."