Over the past two decades, climate change has lengthened the pollen and mold season by eight to nine weeks a year, according to a study by Stanford University School of Medicine..

A study based on allergen data collected since 2002 in Los Altos Hills, California, found that local temperature increases are associated with longer seasons of tree and grass pollen, while changes in local rainfall are associated with more spores.. net The study found that tree pollen and mold each season grew by about half a week a year from 2002 to 2019.. The results of the scientific work, which first analyzed the impact of climate change on airborne allergens in the San Francisco Bay Area, were published on the Internet in Scientific Reports.

“Climate change is indeed a health concern, and we are now living and breathing the effects of climate change,” said senior study author Kari Nado, MD, professor of medicine and pediatrics at Stanford Medical School. Researchers analyzed data on air pollen and mold spores.. They tabulated the concentrations of tree pollen, grass and weeds and mold spores in the air weekly over an 18-year period.. Allergens from over 100 species have been identified, but scientists have focused their analysis on the 20 species most commonly seen in the area.. They used environmental data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on daily maximum temperatures, precipitation, carbon dioxide levels and smoke exposure from wildfires..

“The pollen season now starts earlier and ends later for many species of plants and molds,” the researchers said.. - Local seasons of tree pollen and mold spores grew by 0.47 and 0.51 weeks per year, respectively. Although the allergy season has lengthened, pollen concentrations have declined slightly, and the researchers suggest this effect may be a result of increased urbanization and less wilderness in the Bay Area. "

Researchers Find Link Between Environmental Changes And Allergen Levels. For trees, peak pollen was associated with higher spring temperatures and lower winter temperatures.. Weed pollen has been linked to higher spring and summer temperatures, and grass pollen has been linked to higher summer temperatures. Higher levels of mold spores have been linked to rainfall followed by drought.

Allergy sufferers and their doctors should take note of the results and adjust their allergy treatment accordingly. In addition to causing discomfort, the increased mucus production from seasonal allergies makes people vulnerable to secondary bacterial infections such as sinus infections, the researchers said..

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