Pollen Proliferation

You're not imagining it. Your seasonal allergies ARE getting worse. Blame climate change

- THERESA MACPHAIL

Achoo! This spring, seasonal allergy symptoms are as bad as they’ve ever been for many people…or worse. Tissues, antihistamines, nose sprays, inhalers and eye drops are constant companions for the growing number of people who suffer from allergies. Around 40 percent of all people have at least one allergic condition today, and unfortunately, the outlook for the future isn’t much brighter. But why? Acclaimed medical anthropologist Theresa MacPhail investigates the history of allergies and traces the causes  of their increasing prevalence in her book, allergic: our irritated bodies in a changing world (Random House). She explains why there’s an uptick in all allergic conditions—food allergies, asthma, eczema, environmental allergies and more—and what we can do about it. In this excerpt from her book, MacPhail focuses on why climate change is a leading cause of your increased hay fever symptoms.

IF YOU'VE FELT AS THOUGH YOUR EYES WERE itchier, your nose was stuffier, or your sneezing fits have been getting worse over the past few years, you're probably correct. The reason likely has something to do with changes to the average pollen load (the amount of pollen in the air), the air quality itself (whether on average it is good, fair or poor) and the indirect effects of climate change on everything from the number of mold spores to crop production to trapped heat to the circulation of air.

Scientific researchers have amassed evidence showing that recent environmental changes are both overwhelming and confusing to our immune systems, helping to drive the increase in the global rate of all allergic conditions throughout the last century. They've found that the changes to the air we breathe correlate with an increased risk of developing allergic disease.