After all these months in a mask, it feels so good to step outside, drop the mask and take a big deep gulp of fresh air and breathe in the...uh, wait, the pollen?  The allergens?

If you suffer with seasonal allergies, you may have noticed they’re worse than usual this year, and it’s not just in your head. I mean it is, congestion-wise, but you aren't imagining it.

According to recent research and forecasting, 2021 is shaping up to be a brutal allergy year, continuing the streak of running noses, watery itchy eyes and compromised breathing just like 2020, 2019, and 2018.

You'll never guess why!  What?  You say "Global Warming"?  Hmmm,,,I didn't think you would get it that fast!   Experts say the length and intensity of pollen seasons are growing, in large part due to climate change and they add that if the planet keeps warming up, miserable allergies will likely be the norm.

Yahoo News reports between 1990 and 2018, pollen concentrations in North America increased by 21 percent but "climate change" isn't the only reason.  Other factors can also contribute to making airborne pollen worse than it normally might be.

Internist and immunologist Dr. Tana Elliott explains, “Pollution like diesel exhaust and nitrogen oxide can lead to the creation of super pollen and very irritating air that triggers sneeze and mucus production. Pollen can bind to diesel exhaust and it becomes super pollen—traveling longer distances and being bigger—making it a more potent allergen.”

Some experts point to the pandemic as a contributing factor, with the lockdown forcing us indoors most of last year, we had less exposure to allergens, and so we may have lost any tolerance we built up in the past.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/allergies-really-bad-reason-155316682.html

 

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