Attack of the Pollen

     Elaine Thompson, for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, recently wrote an article about the recent and current onset of allergies that are present throughout the area.  She says that experts believe that the rising carbon dioxide levels and the warming temperatures, in part due to climate change, have cause there to be an early start in our growing season.  Due to this there will be a longer period of time that trees, flowers, and grasses are growing and producing pollen, as well as causing migraines and sneezing fits for others.  Some doctors in the Worcester area have said that there is a long wait for people to get in for allergy testing. 
     Dr. Leonard Bielory, an allergy specialist, said that a model developed around ragweed pollen counts revealed that the pollen season has been beginning increasingly early and lasting longer in the northern states.  Pollen is dependent on sunlight, moisture, and warm temperatures, each of which can be affected through climate change.
     With about 1 in 5 Americans suffer from some type of allergy, around 60 million, there are about 40 million who list allergies to pollen or plant materials to their primary allergy.  The closest cure that is available is immunotherapy, which is building up a tolerance to said allergy by increasing the dosage of the substance.


Original Source:  Pollen Pandemonium: Allergy Sufferers Face Intense Season

Thompson, Elaine. "Pollen Pandemonium: Allergy Sufferers Face Intense Season." Worcester Telegram $ Gazette 26 Apr. 2013, sec. News: n. pag. http://www.telegram.com/. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.