Buckle up Folks, the Achoo Season Is Already Here!
Well, well, looks like spring has decided to come earlier than usual this year. The sun is shining a little brighter and the Americans have woken up from their winter sleep. Tired of watching the shades of gray for the past few months, your yard now looks nothing less than a picture-perfect postcard with all those flowers and greens. Everything feels so fresh and taking a deep breath to inhale the scent of the blooming flowers is so tantalizing. Hold on to that thought, but care not less, if spring is here and so are some gatecrashers. With the sun-kissed spring has come the vexing pollen spree reaching so high that the Americans have already started achooing. But you need not worry, being aware of your allergies can save your spring considerably.
1. Somebody Is Not So Pleased With Early Spring!
The surprisingly warm February has created perfect circumstances for the plants to reproduce early this year. This is great, but not everyone is happy with the flowers pollinating. We all know that plants reproduce by giving off tiny pollen into the air, and nothing but warm weather creates a perfect niche. However, these pollen are so tiny that they can enter one’s nose in no time. If you are someone whose antibody army does not enjoy the pollen party, the season of spring could potentially turn into a sneeze season for you. A report from the Centers for Disease Control states that approximately 7% of the US population have pollen allergies. So, spring in the US is no joke for those prone to allergies!
2. Love or Is It Pollen in the Air?
Flowers have been an all-time favorite in Valentine’s month; however, a pollen spike in the air due to early spring might change the scenarios in coming years. Getting flowers for your Valentine can be a daunting idea, because – you know, pesky pollen allergies. The pollen palooza in the air was first recorded as early as the second week of February in Washington DC. And since then a spike of 487 pollen grains per cubic meter of air has been reported for the first time, that too so early this year. In the first weeks of March, the count has reached an extremely high value in Atlanta, and the counts are doubling. So, like we have been doing since COVID – mask up, people!
3. Spring Is Growing, and So Is the Allergy Season!
The sudden shift to a warmer climate has led to the early pack up of winter, along with concerning many Americans about the pollen spike. Who is to be blamed? To some extent, it is appropriate to say that we humans have dug our own graves, as global warming and ever-increasing carbon emissions have drastically changed seasonal patterns. With climate change, the increasing temperature has provided a much earlier and longer period for plants to pollinate. The longer the seasons, the longer the allergy – all we can do is protect ourselves and not let it affect us.
4. Worry Not Folks, Let Us Get Ready for This!
Physicians have observed that there has been an earlier-than-usual rush into the hospitals with multiple pollen allergy cases. Yes, but one good thing is neither have they noticed anything typically odd in the symptoms nor found them getting worse. It is just the usual symptoms and treatment approaches but way earlier than usual. However, awareness is the key. A little bit of preparation can save you a lot. Avoiding outdoors in the early mornings and late afternoons – the peak pollen shower times, keeping windows closed, stocking up on anti-allergic medications, and changing the AC filters frequently, are just some basic measures to keep your system calm.
Having said it all, do not cuss about the growing allergy season. A little awareness can prepare us well enough to protect ourselves from constant achooing. The changing climate does and did bring with it many snags; apart from getting used to the changes, each of us can try to contribute a little less to the increasing carbon emissions and hope for a better tomorrow.
