Wellness Unmasked Weekly Rundown: Why Allergy Season Keeps Getting Worse (And What You Can Do About It)

Is allergy season getting worse every year? According to Nicole Saphier, the answer is yes—and the data proves it. On this episode of Wellness Unmasked, Dr. Saphier breaks down why seasonal allergies are hitting harder than ever, from longer pollen seasons and warmer temperatures to rising carbon dioxide levels and changing weather patterns.

She explains why millions of Americans—including one in four adults and one in five children—are suffering more intensely, and shares practical strategies to reduce symptoms, including when to start antihistamines, how to safely use nasal sprays, and why HEPA filters and limiting pollen exposure can make a difference.

If spring allergies are making life miserable for you or your family, this episode offers expert advice on how to stay ahead of symptoms and breathe easier this season.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Wellness on Mass.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm doctor Nicole Saffire and this is your weekly rundown. Well,
if you are like many million Americans across the country,
not excluding my husband and one of my kiddos, you're
clearly suffering right now. If it feels like allergy season
is getting worse every year, you're not imagining it.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
The data actually backs that up right now.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
About one in four adults, so twenty five percent of
every adult walking around here in the United States, and
about twenty percent or one in five children in the
US suffer from seasonal allergies. And that number has been climbing.
And here's what's really striking over the last fifty years.
Pollen seasons are now roughly three weeks longer and produce

(00:46):
about twenty percent more pollen than they used to. So
what's driving this, Well, there are a few key factors. First,
warmer temperatures. We're seeing earlier springs and fewer freezing days,
which if you're in the Northeast you probably think that
I'm full of it right now, because it's been a
very cold spring. But we're just talking overall right now.

(01:07):
So what we're seeing is more plants starting to pollinate sooner,
and it just keeps going longer. While this does make
for beautiful gardens and I love it, the allergy sufferers
do not as much. Also, we have higher carbon dioxide levels.
Circulating plants actually thrive on CO two, so they grow
bigger and release more pollen into the air with increased

(01:31):
levels of CO two, and thirdly, longer growing seasons just overall.
In fact, the freeze free season has lengthened in nearly
ninety percent of US cities, giving plants more time to
produce that's right, more allergens. So if you put all
that together, you're going to get longer, more intense allergy

(01:51):
seasons with higher pollen counts. Now, why do some years
feel worse than others, Well, it just obviously comes down
to the weather patterns. A mild winter leads to an
earlier and heavier pollen release. Rainy periods also boost plant growth,
therefore boost pollen release, and then dry, windy days can

(02:12):
spread all that pollen more efficiently all over. I mean,
have you seen your car lately or windows? Yeah, that
light hue of green, that's all pollen. So possibly wherever
you're living, you may have had the perfect storm where
everything peaks at once. Here in New Jersey, I would
say we're not having nearly as bad of a year

(02:33):
because we keep having these freezing temperatures. And in fact, yeah,
my kiddo is doing better this year than he has
done historically. He usually has to stay home a few
days from school. We haven't had to do that yet.
But spring has definitely sprung, so you know it might
be getting worse over the next month.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
So what are some things that you can.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Do to give relief to those who suffer. Well, I'd
love to say that I have mastered this, but I'll
be honest. Sometimes I feel like I do everything right
and it still doesn't give him any reliefs. But here's
what I can tell you. It's all about timing. Don't
wait until symptoms are severe. You want to begin medications
prior to that.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
So we actually start.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
With anahistamine medications in like February, trying to beat that
pollen release. Does it help, Yeah, sometimes it does help
a little bit, and he has a little bit more
of a milder season, But sometimes I feel like oral antihistamines.
We also do nasal sprays to clear out that nasal
passage because think about it. You're breathing in pollen all

(03:38):
the time. It's getting stuck in those little hairs in
your nose and nasopherenx, and that is just causing you
to constantly have symptoms, so you want to clean that out.
You want to be careful because some of the over
the counter nasal sprays can actually be addicting and if
you use them continuously, when you stop using them, you
actually have symptoms all over again, so be careful the

(04:00):
warning labels and obviously talk to your doctor about it.
But really you want to limit exposure. Now that is
impossible sometimes, especially with spring sports, but things you want
to do at your house try and keep your house
a safe haven. Keep windows closed, especially in the morning
when pollen counts are the highest. Make sure you're showering
and changing clothes after being outdoors, and consider using HEPA

(04:23):
filters in the house. Also watch the forecasts on high
pollen or windy days, try to limit being outside. And finally,
if symptoms.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Are persistent or severe, obviously you can talk to your doctor.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
There are things you can do like allergy shots and
some other things like immunotherapy, and there are prescriptions for
relief because yeah, sometimes people say, oh, it's just allergies.
Allergies can be really severe, they can be debilitating. They
can make this season, this time of year absolutely awful.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
It makes it difficult to go to school, do your work.
So it's okay to seek relief.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
You're not weak for for trying to seek relief when
it comes to allergies. I will say there's been a
lot of data moving away from the traditional central antihistamines
like benadryl or anything that says diphenhydromene in it.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Not only can they make kids drowsy, but it really Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
People are like, well, yeah, sometimes you want them to
be drowsy, you want them to go to sleep, But
the reality is we don't want to be sedating our children.
So there are non drowsy anahistamines that pediatricians and physicians alike,
our favor and more in kids. Talk to your doctor, obviously,
you and they know what's best for you and your kiddos,
and allergy season is amongst us, So do whatever you

(05:41):
can to get some relief. You're not weak for saying
I need some help with my allergies. It's not just
in your head. I promise Allergy seasons they're longer, they're stronger, and.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
They're affecting more people.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
But with the right strategy, you might be able to
stay ahead of it, and you just might be able
to get outside.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
And enjoy those beautiful bloomings and trees.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
I'm doctor Nicole Safire. Thanks so much for listening to
Wellness on MASS. That's been your weekly rundown. Be sure
to listen to Wellness on Mass on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.