Current:Home > MarketsSeasonal allergies are here for spring 2024. What to know about symptoms and pollen count-InfoLens
Seasonal allergies are here for spring 2024. What to know about symptoms and pollen count
View Date:2024-12-23 14:06:27
If your sinuses haven't already alerted you, allergy season is upon us — and it's earlier and stronger than expected.
Spring weather is spreading quickly across the central part of the country, according to the USA National Phenology Network, which tracks climate and seasonal changes and data. Compared to long-term average from 1991 to 2020, Denver is 6 days early, Chicago is 15 days early and Detroit is 23 days early, the network says.
The same was true for last year's allergy season, when several regions of the U.S. experienced springtime conditions weeks early, forcing spring allergy sufferers to deal with symptoms sooner and longer than usual.
Researchers predict these aren't outlier years, pointing to climate change as responsible for worsening allergy season.
This past winter was the warmest on record across the continental U.S. Fewer days below freezing meant plants were able to bloom earlier and longer.
"Pollen seasons are starting earlier and getting worse with more pollen in the air," William Anderegg, associate professor at the University of Utah, told CBS News, pointing to heat as "one of the biggest drivers."
Between 1990 and 2018, there was a 21% increase in pollen, according to a recent study authored by Anderegg.
Here's what else to know about pollen season this year:
Pollen count for spring 2024
Dr. Rachna Shah, an allergist and director of the Loyola Medicine Allergy Count, told the Associated Press she usually starts looking at pollen counts in the Chicago area in April. But she peeked at her data in mid-February and saw tree pollen was already at a "moderate" level.
"This season has been so nuts," Shah said. "Granted, it was a pretty mild winter, but I didn't expect it to be so early."
Do certain cities have it worse?
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's annual ranking, the top five most challenging cities to live in if you have allergies this year are: Wichita, Kansas; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; Dallas; and Oklahoma City.
This is based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen counts and the number of available allergy specialists.
Where does pollen come from?
Pollen is released by trees, grasses and weeds, explains Dr. Neil Parikh, allergist and immunologist with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group.
"So those are found outside the home, but that pollen can also come inside the home," he told CBS News Sacramento. "Understand that when you go outside and you breathe in that air, you're exposed to the pollen. So the longer it stays on your body, in your nose and your eyes and your sinuses, the more likely you're going to react and feel bad from them."
For that reason, if you're outside with high pollen and suffer from allergies, Parikh suggests a few steps after coming inside, including taking a shower, changing your clothes and doing a sinus rinse with saline water.
HEPA air purifiers can also help remove the pollen that comes from outside to inside your home, he says.
Can seasonal allergies cause fever, coughing, headaches, sore throat?
There are several allergy symptoms to be aware of, Parikh says, including:
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Itchy eyes
- Coughing
The Cleveland Clinic says allergies can cause a sore throat due to postnasal drip, which is when discharge from your nose runs down the back of your throat.
Allergens can also cause sinus headache even if you have no other allergy symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. This is caused by swelling in the sinuses that blocks the openings, prevents drainage and causes pressure to build up.
Fever, however, is not a symptom of allergies.
"If you're experiencing a runny or stuffy nose and a fever, you may have a sinus infection. Sinus infections are caused by bacteria or viruses, not by allergies," the association notes.
- In:
- Allergies
Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch.
TwitterveryGood! (62673)
Related
- Cavaliers' Darius Garland rediscovers joy for basketball under new coach
- Maine governor will allow one final gun safety bill, veto another in wake of Lewiston mass shootings
- India politician seeking reelection accused of making 3,000 sexual assault videos, using them for blackmail
- Clear is now enrolling people for TSA PreCheck at these airports
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Union Pacific undermined regulators’ efforts to assess safety, US agency says
- Dance Moms' Nia Sioux Reveals Why She Skipped Their Reunion
- Your guide to the healthiest veggies: These are the best types to add to your diet
- Jessica Simpson’s Sister Ashlee Simpson Addresses Eric Johnson Breakup Speculation
- Headed Toward the Finish Line, Plastics Treaty Delegates ‘Work is Far From Over’
Ranking
- Surprise bids revive hope for offshore wind in Gulf of Mexico after feds cancel lease sale
- Celebrate May the 4th with These Star Wars Items That Will Ship in Time for the Big Day, They Will
- Travis Kelce Reacts to Jaw-Dropping Multi-Million Figure of His New Contract
- Arizona’s Democratic leaders make final push to repeal 19th century abortion ban
- John Krasinski Revealed as People's Sexiest Man Alive 2024
- No criminal charges after 4 newborn bodies found in a freezer
- Ex-Tesla worker says he lost job despite sacrifices, including sleeping in car to shorten commute
- Why Olivia Culpo Dissolved Her Lip Fillers Ahead of Her Wedding to Christian McCaffrey
Recommendation
-
4 charged in Detroit street shooting that left 2 dead, 5 wounded
-
The Ultimatum's April Marie Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2 With Cody Cooper
-
Is pineapple good for you? Nutritionists answer commonly-searched questions
-
Why Melanie Lynskey Didn't Know She Was Engaged to Jason Ritter for 3 Days
-
GreenBox Systems will spend $144 million to build an automated warehouse in Georgia
-
Walnuts sold at Whole Foods and other grocers recalled after E. coli outbreak sickens 12
-
1 person dead, buildings damaged after tornado rips through northeastern Kansas
-
She had Parkinson's and didn't want to live. Then she got this surgery.