--- title: How Climate Change Is Making Your Seasonal Allergies Symptoms Worse description: Warming temperatures, shifting seasonal patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affecting pollen production canonical: https://time.com/6270166/how-climate-change-makes-allergies-worse/ author: Andrew Johnson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-04-10T20:34:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:14:59.071Z article:section: Climate og:title: How Climate Change Is Making Your Seasonal Allergies Symptoms Worse og:description: Warming temperatures, shifting seasonal patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affecting pollen production og:url: https://time.com/6270166/how-climate-change-makes-allergies-worse/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86f3a018774cfc7e/698a3bd322fb852572e2e8ee/GettyImages-854418348.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 8152 og:image:height: 4586 og:image:alt: I think I'm going to the doctor later og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Climate Change Is Making Your Seasonal Allergies Symptoms Worse twitter:description: Warming temperatures, shifting seasonal patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affecting pollen production twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt86f3a018774cfc7e/698a3bd322fb852572e2e8ee/GettyImages-854418348.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Climate Change Is Making Your Seasonal Allergies Symptoms Worse > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=405ad826-ded7-491f-962f-9b4000f57575&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Allergy Season Is Getting Worse And Here’s Why [Watch (HLS stream): Allergy Season Is Getting Worse And Here’s Why](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/p97Ass3E.m3u8) (4:36)  _Published 2023-04-10. Warming temperatures, shifting seasonal patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affecting pollen production. For the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies, this means sneezing, scratchy eyes, and runny noses for longer periods of time._  by [Andrew Johnson](https://time.com/author/andrew-johnson/)  ## Andrew Johnson Apr 10, 2023 8:34 PM UTC Warming temperatures, shifting seasonal patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is affecting pollen production. For the millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies, this means sneezing, scratchy eyes, and runny noses for longer periods of time.  by [Andrew Johnson](https://time.com/author/andrew-johnson/)  ## Andrew Johnson Apr 10, 2023 8:34 PM UTC ## Transcript [00:00] Seasonal allergies are getting worse and climate change, [00:03] might be to blame a recent study found that North American [00:07] pollen seasons are becoming longer by 20 days on average [00:09] and increasing in severity, by 21% [00:12] as Things become warmer and the plants become more energetic. [00:17] They're going to produce more pollen and they're going to do sit [00:20] over a longer period of time and we see that already happening. [00:24] This isn't some model, this is not going to happen, [00:27] 10 years that's already happening. [00:34] Although Palin can be a nuisance, it serves an actual purpose, [00:37] male Plants, release to find powdery substance for reproduction [00:41] and the winter animals. [00:42] Carry the female plants Polynesian typically happens in the spring [00:47] when it's warm enough for plants Thrive with as weather, [00:50] pattern shift, and we experience warmer temperatures [00:52] earlier, and for longer plants, have more time to release [00:55] pollen is essentially your last freezing temperature [01:01] in the springtime and the time between the first freezing [01:04] temperature in the fall, when those plants can grow and Thrive [01:08] the analysis, conducted by climate Central, you looked at 203 [01:12] US cities and their fries fries seasoned, [01:15] or they're growing season and on average across the US, [01:18] that lengthened by about 15 days or more than two weeks. [01:22] In some parts of the United States. [01:24] This growing season has increased by more than 60 days and that's [01:28] not the only problem for allergy sufferers greenhouse [01:35] gas is also the source of carbon for plants to grow mint, [01:38] plants room or sounds good. [01:40] But what we find is that there's a whole host of plants that [01:44] produce pollen that are also going or you're being directly [01:48] stimulated by the increase in CO2 with the rising carbon dioxide. [01:52] What we're seeing is a change in the structure of the pollen [01:57] itself. When you breathe in Palo, in your body, [02:01] recognizes proteins on the surface of the pollen that are foreign [02:04] your body's immune system response, these two data sets indicate [02:09] that CO2 in addition to changing the flowering and causing [02:14] the plants to grow, more may also be qualitatively [02:18] affecting Impala. It may be putting more of those proteins [02:22] on the surface of the Calling that your immune system reacts [02:25] to sign to see if the Earth continues to warm seasonal allergies [02:29] would likely only get worse this spells. [02:32] Bad news for 26% [02:33] of American adults and 19% [02:35] of children suffering from seasonal. [02:37] Allergies are a great option to treat. [02:46] So something that I often recommend starting with is an antihistamine, [02:51] and then if that's not working, there are nasal sprays as well, [02:55] but you're very safe and effective. [02:56] Those are all great option to start with and it's even better [03:00] because they're available over the counter, so you can start [03:03] them on your own, you know, and see how they work for you allergies. [03:07] There are great option. [03:09] If medications are not working for you we would have to test [03:13] you first to see exactly what your allergic to it. [03:15] Once the testing is done and we know specifically what you're [03:18] allergic to. We actually inject you with very small [03:22] Amounts of what your allergic to the shots are retraining your [03:26] immune system to not react as much to the allergens [03:30] that you were reacting to before mccoppin alongside efforts [03:36] to better understand Rising pollen. [03:38] Counts stations. Right now, the monitor Paulette part of that [03:43] is because it's still old school. [03:45] I have to learn how to recognize on. [03:48] I have to sit there hour after hour after hour and a microscope. [03:52] Identifying the pollen literally counting the fallen on a slide. [03:56] We need to, we need to put something in there. [04:00] I will do it automatically so that we can begin to put pound [04:04] stations. Now in high-density, urban areas to, [04:08] determine not just the amounts of pollen, [04:10] count those pollen, interacting with other types of urban air [04:14] pollution, you're so much more about this, [04:16] that we don't understand the long-term, the answer, [04:20] you're going to get his. [04:21] We need to stop. [04:21] Adding see you. [04:22] To the atmosphere. [04:23] We need to stop what's happening with respect to climate [04:26] change. 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