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Will the polar vortex make allergy season worse?

Premier Allergy and Asthma Blog Will the polar vortex make allergy season worse?

You may think the misery of the “polar vortex” winter is over, but sadly, it can still have an effect in months to come for allergy sufferers this allergy season. It seems as if the extreme cold temperatures should have killed everything, but that, unfortunately, is not the case.

Since we had extreme cold temperatures for much longer than our average winter months, it shortened the typical growing season for all of the spring plants that produce allergens. So now, the new spring temperatures, that we are all so excited for, have caused the pollen producing plants to come into bloom at once! This can compound problems for allergy sufferers. The growing season would usually take place over several weeks, but this spring and summer, it is taking place all at the exact same time.

Normally, we think of different allergens as having different seasons. This means that trees tend to cause problems during the spring and that grass tends to cause problems during the summer. However, when the weather gets warmer very quickly, it can cause some complications for allergy season.

So, what can you do to lessen your suffering this year? One thing is to keep your windows closed to prevent any pollen or other allergens from getting into your home. You should also shower before you get in bed to get any errant pollen off of you. A neti pot would also be very helpful. Hopefully, you can enjoy a safe allergy season!

Author
Dr. Summit Shah

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