Today s Environment Report examines the link between allergies and climate change
If even hearing the word “ragweed” makes your eyes water, you might be one of the nearly 45 million Americans with seasonal allergies. Researchers say climate change is fueling the rise in allergies and asthma.
Jenny Fischer has been taking over-the-counter medication for allergies for a long time. Without it, she suffers cold-like symptoms: a runny nose, sneezing and congestion. An allergy pill usually made it better. But a couple of years ago, things started to get worse.
“I’d be out at 5:30 in the morning walking my dog, and it would just be huffing and puffing. And, you know, I couldn’t catch my breath. It s scary, she said.
Allergy season is back with a vengeance.
It s a feeling that some people know too well: stuffy nose, itchy eyes and a headache. But for those who say their allergies feel worse this year, there may be a reason why.
Micaela Petrucci, 25, of Canton, said her allergies are a real annoyance this year. I was just outside to try to read, and I had to come in because I had to blow my nose 3 times, she said.
Petrucci said her eyes are so heavy and itchy, it makes her job more difficult, which entails long hours of staring at computer screens.