The good news: You’re not imagining it. The bad news: You’re not imagining it. Allergies really can get worse over time, and there are some big-picture reasons why. No matter what’s aggravating your symptoms, you can put these helpful solutions to good use. And in the meantime, here are a few reasons you might be facing even more sneezes than usual.
Worsening allergies is one of the many dangers of our planet’s temp steadily rising. “Pollen seasons are becoming longer and more potent,” says Allergy & Asthma Network allergist Purvi Parikh, MD. “Plants use the higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air to create almost ‘superpollinators,'” she says. “That makes allergy seasons start earlier and end later.”
Wacky temperature swings can make allergies worse, too. Even if no pollen is in the air during the winter, a drastic change in the weather can result in allergy-like symptoms anyway, Parikh adds. “If it’s 25 degrees Thursday and drops to around 5-10 over the weekend, that can cause vasomotor rhinitis, which almost mimics allergic rhinitis with its congestion and sinus pressure,” she says. “Extremes in temperature can result in inflammation inside the nose the same way as with an allergen.”
Maybe you moved to a smoggy city recently or your area’s air quality has grown particularly poor. “Ironically, allergies are worse in cities than in the suburbs because of air pollution and higher levels of ozone,” Parikh says, even though people in the suburbs may be exposed to more plant allergens. Even within the same city, your allergies might get worse just because you moved to a neighbourhood closer to the busiest roadways.
Add chronic stress to the mix and allergies can feel like the end of the world. “Stress creates inflammation and can make the body hypersensitive to allergens,” Parikh says. Stress can also produce some of the very same symptoms as allergies, like headaches or quickened breathing, essentially doubling up the discomfort.
