For as long as I can remember, I've had to deal with fall allergies. I only knew it as Hay Fever. Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with it in the spring as well. Some people do, and I feel for them to have to suffer from any type of allergy twice per year. Although the spring of 2019 before the pandemic hit, I did get hit with a seasonal allergy that lasted almost three months.

Hay Fever, or Allergic Rhinitis (the correct term), begins for me during the last week or so in August, and ends around the first frost of the season, usually in October. So when I was growing up I suffered from sniffles, scratchy eyes, sneezing, and congestion while trying to concentrate in school. That was a challenge.

And to add insult to injury, the Weather Channel is reporting that climate change is now a factor in worsening allergies. That makes me wonder if that's why I experienced galleries in the spring of 2019.

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The findings are from a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The report states that pollen concentrations increased by over 21% and allergy season is lasting 20 days longer than it was in 1990. The Weather Channel article states that the report "analyzed changing pollen counts across 60 North American stations from 1990 to 2018." And the study also revealed that pollen has become more potent as well.

The biggest pollen concentration increase has occurred in Texas and the Midwestern states. The Weather Channel has listed the top 10 cities in the United States that are the worst places to live if you suffer from allergies. And six cities in that top 10 are in the Northeast/New England area, including Pittsburg, PA, Hartford, CT, Springfield, Mass, New Haven, CT, Bridgeport, CT, and the number 1 city - Scranton, PA.  That's too close for comfort.

The Weather Channel suggests a few tips keep your allergies in check like using the proper allergy medications, staying inside from 10 am to 2 pm, keeping your windows closed, and using HEPA air filters in your home.

via Weather Channel, PNAS.org

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