More than 100 million people in the U.S. experience different types of allergies each year. If you’ve lived with allergies for years, only to notice that they are gradually getting worse, it is natural to feel frustrated. One possible cause for the increase in your allergy symptoms is climate change.
How Does Climate Change Affect Allergies?
A study by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF) found that unchecked climate change could worsen respiratory allergies for an estimated 25 million Americans. Allergens, including mold and ragweed (a common hay fever trigger in Georgia), produce more high-allergic pollen and mold spores under the increased carbon dioxide levels brought on by climate change. Additionally, warmer temperatures may promote an expansion of oaks and hickory trees, two highly allergic species.
Not only can warming temperatures and increased carbon dioxide levels increase allergic reactions, but they could mean more asthma attacks for Americans living with allergic asthma (asthma triggered by allergic reactions).
What Can You Do?
Worsening allergies can leave you exhausted and dampen your summer and fall fun. A few ways you can help manage your symptoms include:
- Minimize exposure to allergens. Keep an eye on allergen counts in your area and tailor your plans accordingly. For example, if ragweed pollen is thick in the air around Dellinger Park, opt for indoor activities. In addition to staying indoors, close your windows and doors, shower upon returning home and give your pets regular baths to help keep allergens out of your home.
- Take allergy medication. Allergy medications provide short-term symptom relief. For people whose allergies are not severe, medication may provide sufficient relief. A few options may include antihistamines, decongestants, nasal corticosteroids, decongestant nasal sprays, allergy eye drops and mast cell inhibitors. Contact your allergy specialist if you’re unsure which medication is right for you.
- Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is a long-term allergy treatment option for people who do not find sufficient relief from medication. Administered as shots or drops, immunotherapy builds tolerance to an allergen by introducing it to the body in gradually increasing doses. For most patients, symptoms will show a slight improvement in the first year and continue to improve over the next 3 to 5 years. While immunotherapy may not altogether remove all symptoms, effective treatment will significantly reduce their severity.
Don’t let allergies take over your life. Contact ENT of Georgia North today to make an appointment with one of our specialists for a treatment plan.
