Is global warming affecting my allergy?

Some parts of the United States and Canada are reported to have seen a dramatic rise in the length of their allergy seasons, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The burning question has to be “is global warming affecting my allergy?”

The study reports that in northern areas including Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada, Winnipeg in Manitoba, Fargo in North Dakota and Minneapolis in Minnesota, the pollen season was up to 27 days longer in 2009 than the same period in 1995.

Further south, however, in Rogers, Arkansas and Georgetown, Texas, pollen seasons were shortened by several days.

The study compared the pattern of changes in pollen season length with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections of global warming, and found that they correlated with the more intense areas of warming seen closer to the Arctic.

The authors reported: “Latitudinal effects on increasing season length were associated primarily with a delay in first frost of the fall season and lengthening of the frost-free period.”

“Overall, these data indicate a significant increase in the length of the ragweed pollen season by as much as 13-27 days at latitudes above 44 degrees north since 1995.”

Whatever the reason, there’s no doubt that weather patterns have changed in the UK in recent years, with warmer weather in spring and early summer, and Indian summers and warmer weather stretching into early autumn, which could potentially have similar effects to those seen across the pond.

So if you feel like you are suffering from seasonal allergies for longer than usual, global warming could be the culprit.