Tis’ the season: Allergy Season
Every spring, people across the Midwest start to feel a familiar feeling in the back of their throats and an urge to sneeze despite having little or no other signs of illness. Allergies can be anything from irritating to incapacitating, and this is the time of the year when this health condition tends to get the most attention.
In spite of the popular connection of allergies to springtime, microbiologist Dr. Christopher Woolverton, a professor in the College of Public Health at Kent State University, said that every season has allergens, and these are different in different in different parts of the world. Regrowth of plants releases pollen into the air which can exacerbate floral allergies and cause serious symptoms for those who are allergic to something in the environment around them. This can be anything from pet dander to the fumes released from automobiles.
When a human body first reacts to a potential allergen, it goes through what Woolverton calls the education period. This lasts for about three weeks, while the body’s immune system determines a response to the substance. Allergy symptoms won’t generally appear during this time. Once the education period is over, the immune system will either determine that the allergen is not a threat – allowing the body to operate normally in spite of the presence of a potential allergen, or it will try to rid the body of the allergen entirely – sometimes causing the watery eyes and irritating nasal symptoms we often associate with spring allergies. A person’s reaction to any given allergen is encoded in their DNA.
Immediately medicating when an allergy is present is not the answer, according to Woolverton. The body goes through allergy symptoms as a natural response to an allergen. After about 24 hours, if allergy symptoms are still present, that’s the time to reach for a man-made solution.
Allergy-sufferers in Ohio have it rough. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s Spring 2018 report, four of the five worst cities for allergies in the Midwest are in Ohio. Nationwide, Ohio cities claim three of the top 20 spots. What is it in Ohio’s air that makes it such a hotbed for allergies?
“It’s not what’s in the air. It’s what gets brought to the air.” Woolverton explained. Ohio often falls along the path of a jetstream covering Canada and the United States. The jetstream brings air into the state from other areas along the wind pattern and can add new allergens to the environment.
The jetstream is changing as a result of a rapidly changing climate though, and Woolverton said that could have effects on the type and amount of allergens in the air.
This is something climate scientist Dr. Juan Declet-Barreto has said for years. In a 2015 report for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Declet-Barreto’s work focused specifically on ragweed allergies, and predicted a 2035 where people allergic to ragweed suffered debilitating symptoms, particularly in urban environments during the late summer months.
“One of the things that we should all be concerned with is, what do we do about all of this?” Declet-Barreto said in a recent interview. He said that humans are already facing adverse health effects as a result of climate change and warned that it will likely get worse before it gets better.
The 2015 report offers some advice on avoiding and dealing with allergies. Keeping track of pollen levels in your local area is a good idea. Showering after spending time outside and washing bedding often are also advisable. The main recommendations, though, are for the federal government, calling for increased data collection and publication and stronger regulations on the carbon pollution of power plants.
“We need to hold our leaders accountable in the U.S.”
Declet-Barreto pointed to what he called a “wholesale dismantlement” of federal agencies put in place to protect the environment and enforce environmental regulations. He cited the leadership of current Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler as an example. “He’s been a lobbyist for a long time.”
Climate change won’t cause new allergies to develop, Declet-Barreto said, but it could make existing allergies worse.
Catrell- Video interview with Chris Woolverton, Audio interview with Dianne Filey, Infogram (Allergy Season)
Carlyle- Interview with Chris Woolverton, Written portion, Infogram (Your Body’s Response to Allergens)
