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Climate change is making allergies worse

Climate change is making allergies worse

Every spring, many allergies appear at the same rate, but many people's symptoms seem to be getting worse, and climate change is likely to blame.

"Allergy seasons are getting longer, more intense," according to Kenneth Mendez, CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation USA.

Compared to thirty years ago, the pollen season in North America now starts twenty days earlier and its production has increased by 21%, according to research published in the journal PNAS.

This concentration of pollen appears to cause seasonal allergies in people who previously had no symptoms.

The coming years are expected to be even warmer and spring may release more pollen into the air. The appearance of seasonal allergies depends mainly on two factors: genetic predisposition and the environment.

"Some people are naturally predisposed to allergies, and climate change is making that worse," says Kathleen May, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The environment, however, is changing. The link between temperature, carbon dioxide levels and pollen is very well documented. Scientists have known for decades that plants thrive in a warm greenhouse with high levels of carbon dioxide, and some species produce more pollen than they would under other conditions.

An allergy occurs when a person's immune system mistakenly treats a harmless agent as dangerous and starts producing antibodies (IgE). When IgE detects a certain amount of allergen, it launches an attack on the "invader", releasing chemicals that cause itching, sneezing, congestion and other classic symptoms of an allergic reaction.