Allergy seasons are lasting longer. An expert explains why.

NEW YORK — Are your seasonal allergies sticking around longer than usual? It’s not just you, and experts say a warming world may be part of the reason why.
Seasonal allergy sufferers have a lot of company; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 25.7% of adults in the United States and 18.9% of children live with seasonal allergies.
Common symptoms of seasonal allergies include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, watery eyes, itchy throat and itchy ears.
Dr. Jennifer Toh, an allergist with ENT and Allergy Associates, said these symptoms may be prolonged this fall allergy season.
“We’re actually seeing longer allergy seasons due to climate change,” she said.
Grass pollen season normally lasts from June to August, but Toh says it’s still happening now in September. At the same time, Toh says predominant fall allergens – such as ragweed and weeds – started earlier than usual this year, in early August.
“I suspect that given climate change, we’re going to have a longer ragweed, weed pollen season,” Toh said. “We’re getting, like, double whammy.”
Toh’s top three tips for staying healthy are:
“Change your clothes. You want to shower to get rid of everything from outside off your body,” Toh said.
For those with asthma, Toh recommends patients know what medications they have, what they should be taking and take only the correct, non-expired medications.
Next week, the third week of September, is Asthma Peak Week. Allergens are partly to blame.
“We call it Peak Week because emergency room visits and hospitalizations rise in that third week in September,” said Kenneth Mendez, CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Mendez said this peak results from a combination of fall allergy season, kids returning to school and cooler weather bringing people indoors, which increases the spread of respiratory infections.