COLUMBUS, Ohio — Trees are nearing full bloom, which is a sign that spring is here, and so are spring allergies. For some, this can cause a lot of discomfort, especially this time of the year.
Dr. Gital K. Patel, Board Certified Allergist at Premier Allergy & Asthma, believes that seasonal allergies are starting earlier and are even getting worse in Ohio.
“People are having more severe symptoms and I feel like every year allergies tend to get a little worse,” Patel said.
A warming climate could be to blame for the increase in the duration and intensity of the pollen season.
“There's more carbon dioxide, plants are thriving so there's an overall increase in the amount of pollen. There is about a twenty percent increase in pollen that we've seen, and the high pollen count days are about twenty days longer than what they were previously.”
Longer periods of freeze-free days mean that plants have more time to flower and release pollen.
Geographically, the location of Ohio is also in an area where we tend to a lot of pollen settling in the river basin due to the wind channels created by the Appalachian mountains to our east.
Dr. Patel said that the best way to treat your allergies is to be proactive and she highly recommends getting tested to confirm whether you do have allergies or not.
For more information on allergies and if you’re interested in getting tested for allergies, you can contact Premier Allergy & Asthma here.
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