If you haven't seen the pollen in the air yet, you soon will — spring allergy season is upon us in Vermont.
For allergy sufferers, that means now is the time to take action to give yourself some relief, and you should expect allergy seasons to get worse as climate change makes the seasons longer.
Here in the Northeast, we have some of the worst allergy issues, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's allergy capitals rankingfor 2022. In thestudy, which ranked the 100 largest cities, Scranton, Pennsylvania,was number one and coming in at numbers 9, 10, 11 and 12 were New Haven, Connecticut,Albany, New York; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts.
Spring allergy outlook for Vermont
The spring allergy season started a couple weeks ago in Vermont, according to Mark Lazarovich, allergy and immunology specialist for Timber Lane Allergy in South Burlington, who spoke with the Free Press on April 8. His office confers with a pollen count researcher in Burlington who had begun to find local trees releasing pollen.
Most spring allergy sufferers are allergic to tree pollen, specifically oak, birch and maple trees, but any deciduous trees that begin sprouting leaves in the spring could be culprits, according to Lazarovich.
This season has come on a little more slowly than normal due to the wet, cool weather we've been having, but as soon as it warms up and the wind picks up, allergy suffers can expect the symptoms to come on quickly.
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Lazarovich said that there can sometimes be a catch up phase where more pollen is released in a short time, where pollen counts can be low one day and high the next, resulting in a very unpleasant time for tree pollen sufferers.
Some peoplemistakenly blame fragrant flowers for their suffering, However those rely on insects to pollinate their flowers. It's the plants that rely on the wind for pollinationthat cause problems for allergy sufferers.
Tree pollen sufferers can expect the season to last through mid-May.
Are seasonal allergies getting worse?
Long-term global trends show allergy seasons are getting longer, causing the so-called "misery index" to go up for sufferers, according to Lazarovich.
A March National Geographic article explored a recent study that tooktrends from the last few decades and projectedwhat we can expect by 2100.
Compared with 30 years ago, the pollen season in North America arrives 20 days earlier and lasts eight days longer while 20%more pollen is released into the air.
In the next 80 years, many of those figures are expected to double. The study predicted a 40% increase in pollen production and a season that will begin 40 days earlier and last 19 days longer.
Much of the change is due to the warming of the planet. Climate change also increases the amount of carbon dioxide released, which many plants thrive on. It's a double-edged sword, according to Lazarovich, who said what may be best for plants is not best for humans and vice versa.
What you can do to treatseasonal allergies
Allergy sufferers should not get complacent, saidLazarovich. He said even though this season has come on slowly it can hit quickly and it is better to takesteps now to manage symptoms.
He said starting allergy medications two weeks before exposure could make them significantly more effective.
He also suggested using common sense when it comes to allergen exposure. He said tree allergy suffers may go outside to enjoy the nice weather, butmay want to keepbedroom and car windowsclosed to limit total daily exposure.
He said it is easier to deal with allergies now that most medications are over the counter and don't require a doctor's prescription.
What to expect in summer, fall
Spring allergy season isn't the only one coming up, a summer and fall one will follow. For those with multiple allergens, it can feel like one continuous season until the snow starts to fall.
In mid-May, grass pollen allergy suffers will likely begin to feel symptoms coming on. Andlater in the fall, is the ragweed allergy season, which Lazarovich said has been lasting longer over time as the first freeze has been delayed.
One of the anticipated complications of ragweed season this yearis that it is expected to coincide with a rise of COVID infections going into the fall. Seasonal allergies, the common cold and COVID all share the symptoms of runny nose and sore throat, which can make the root illnessdifficult todiagnose. At Timber Lane Allergy, Lazarovich said they screen patients with a list of questions to try to rule out infection.
Contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.