Climate change is worsening allergy symptoms for people due to increased pollen levels.
Pollen season will lengthen as climate change warms the world, potentially exacerbating or worsening allergies for people with allergies.
About nine years ago, a large number of people died in Melbourne, Australia from respiratory problems caused by thunderstorm-induced asthma. Some storms drop pollen from the storm on many people, which can trigger allergies in some people, even people who don’t have asthma.
Asthma-induced thunderstorms aren’t just happening in Melbourne, they’re happening in many regions, especially in the United States, Europe and Australia. The problem with plant pollen and allergies is being caused by climate change.
Pollen is an important part of our world, and it’s abundant, because it allows plants to reproduce. Some plants need the help of insects or the wind to disperse the pollen.
However, when an allergic reaction to pollen occurs, the body’s immune system misreads pollen as something harmful, causing symptoms that affect the body, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing. Or it can make it hard to breathe when the airways become inflamed, causing swelling and not enough air to enter the lungs.
How do thunderstorms increase pollen counts?
Although the exact process by which thunderstorms cause or trigger asthma is not fully understood, the most widely accepted theory is that when the cold air from thunderstorms creates strong winds at ground level, pollen is drawn into the air. The moisture in the clouds and the high-voltage electric fields that occur during thunderstorms break up pollen into small, allergenic particles.
When the cold air blows back to the ground, it can easily enter the respiratory tract. There is a lot of research that shows that pollen levels spike during the first 20-30 minutes of a storm.
In addition to thunderstorm-related asthma, climate change is also increasing the risk of exposure to other types of pollen. One of the most noticeable changes in climate is rising temperatures, which will lengthen the pollen season (spring and summer).
If the world does not immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts could worsen because the pollen season will start earlier and end later, meaning that there will be more people who get sick. The spread of pollen from different species has already spread throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and South America.
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