While much of the United States remained under a blanket of snow this week, experts warned that pollen was "on the rise" and that allergy season was imminent, WSAV reported.
What's happening?
Georgia has experienced extreme weather volatility in February, going from 7 inches of snow to shattering records, with temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s in under two weeks.
People are aware of the calendar, but pollen-producing plants have no such constraints.
That's a problem for people with allergies, as specialist Dr. Neha Kharod told WSAV.
"If it's 20 degrees right now and then it's 30 degrees warmer later on in the day, the plants immediately think, 'Oh, that was winter; winter is over, and today is the first day of spring,' so they release pollen at a very high level."
Georgia wasn't the only state where pollen counts have begun severely affecting people with allergies — on Wednesday, KARK reported pollen was "already abundant across Arkansas," with counts in the "high to very high categories" in much of the state.
In California, KMIR advised people managing allergies to begin taking precautions ahead of spring to reduce symptoms and "prevent severe reactions."
Why is this concerning?
According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, tree pollen is the primary culprit behind seasonal allergy symptoms and can exacerbate asthma.
On Thursday, WTVM reported an anticipated spike in pollen counts in parts of Alabama and Georgia and, like WSAV, cited fluctuating weather patterns and interspersed dry, breezy days as aggravating factors.
According to WTVM, the Georgia Department of Public Health said pollen season was "starting earlier and lasting longer," a trend not exclusive to southern states.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 Last March, the AAFA issued a press release warning of the public health threat to 100 million Americans posed by earlier, longer pollen seasons.
AAFA President and CEO Kenneth Mendez cited a massive year-over-year increase in pollen activity in New Orleans as an example of how severely rising temperatures are affecting people with allergies and asthma in every state.
"Across the nation, growing seasons start earlier and last longer — leading to longer and more intense pollen allergy seasons. This report highlights the importance of taking action," Mendez stated.
What's being done about it?
In the short term, experts like Kharod and the AAFA recommended stringent preventive measures, such as wearing a mask outdoors when pollen counts are high.
"When you come inside, immediately you should change those clothes and ideally shower and clean up head to toe so that you're not spreading that stuff around," Kharod advised.
However, the same experts acknowledged that broader action was also necessary.
"Long-term, we should be looking at policy change to reduce the impact of climate change," AAFA Chief Mission Officer Melanie Carver remarked.
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