Do you feel like your allergy symptoms are getting worse?
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), spring allergies are hitting harder and lasting longer across the Pacific Northwest.
The AAFA says climate shifts are contributing to an earlier and more intense pollen season. This trend is particularly evident in Seattle.
Washington already had a lengthy growing season, but the changing climate is extending it in some areas, and the weather is causing plants to bloom sooner and release more potent allergens into the air.
According to the AAFA’s Allergy Capital Rankings, Seattle is rated 45th in the country for overall allergy scores, yet it holds the third-highest grass pollen score of any city in America. This prolonged and more severe allergy season is attributed to environmental factors that encourage increased plant growth and pollen production.
Angela Phung, an allergy expert at the University of Washington, noted that allergies typically begin with deciduous trees like alder, oak and hazelnut in the Pacific Northwest before shifting to grasses and weeds.
“I think of alder, oak, hazelnut, these deciduous pollen trees are just really happy with some environmental factors, but that also means the pollen seasons are much longer,” Phung explained.
She indicated that scientists are examining pollen granules and finding increased amounts of allergic protein, leading to more severe symptoms.
“As it would turn out, some of them are even more densely packed in there, so when we’re talking about how allergic you feel around some of these trees, perhaps the expression is in fact true, there’s a lot more allergen in the air,” Phung told KIRO 7 News.
This increased allergen density, coupled with longer pollen seasons, leads to stronger allergic reactions, according to Phung and the AAFA.
Tree pollen season typically begins in February or March, followed by grass pollen season around April, according to Phung. The combination of these two pollen types creates a potent mix that extends the allergy period.
While the AAFA could not say definitively who has the longest allergy season, they were willing to grant that Western Washington’s allergy season is likely longer than many areas in the United States.
It’s not just Washington, the AAFA says it’s also impacting residents in British Columbia, Oregon, and Northern California as well.
Atmospheric rivers, which caused historic flooding in December, contributed to plants growing faster and blooming earlier.
While acknowledging there is no quick solution to climate change, Phung mentioned methods to train the body against allergies, referring to it as ‘a really weird gym membership.’
KIRO seven will further explore this strategy and others to combat seasonal allergies in a report scheduled for Monday, May 4, at 6 a.m.