Regardless of the time of year, allergies emerge. However, everything seems to indicate a direct threat to our health in recent years. The increase in temperatures and greater exposure to heat, among other harmful effects of climate change, can prolong pollen exposure and therefore, symptoms endure longer.
Allergic diseases have changed in recent years, and so have their treatments. Climate change and pollution have caused increased intensity and duration of pollen seasons. There has also been an observed increase in food allergies and greater sensitization.
Allergies and More: How Climate Change Damages Your Health
Climate change, which has shortened and tempered winters in favor of warmer months throughout the year, coupled with air pollution, has led to “the perfect storm” for allergies. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events in recent years due to climate change, such as droughts and high temperatures, has impacted plant pollination.
However, that’s not the only concern. Extreme heat alone kills about half a million people globally each year, but at the current rate of global warming, it could be almost five times deadlier by 2050. Moreover, there are indirect health risks of climate change: chaotic weather and rising temperatures lead to deadly natural disasters, spread diseases to new areas, and increase economic instability and poor mental health.
Some of these impacts affect food systems, water quality, and the transmission of infectious diseases such as dengue and malaria, which spread to new parts of the world.
Furthermore, temperature conditions and low water levels cause plants to undergo “stress,” making the production of allergens within pollen much more potent. Additionally, pollutants play a role. Recent studies indicate that under the influence, for example, of ozone or submicron particles, atmospheric particles with a diameter less than one micrometer, and CO2, plants also alter their behavior.
CO2 acts as a fertilizer for plants, causing them to grow larger, faster, and in greater quantity. These pollutants trigger plants to develop defense mechanisms due to stress, resulting in more allergenic pollen.
Watch out for the cypress trees
All plants have the capacity to trigger allergies, but in recent years, some have caused more sensitivity in patients. One of these is the cupressaceae family, which includes cypress trees. While they are beneficial for maintaining Earth’s air quality, prolonged exposure to these plants can lead to increased allergies in individuals over time.