Health

Report: Climate Change Making Allergies Worse

Published May 8, 2014 at 12:20 PM CDT

While the flowers and grass of springtime are a welcome change to most after the long winter we've had, for those with seasonal allergies, the suffering continues. (AJ Delos Santos/Flickr)

For millions of Americans, the joy of spring and the return of grass, trees and flowers is overshadowed by one thing: allergies.

In much of the country, it’s been a brutally long, cold winter, which can make for a particularly bad allergy season. Most of the worst cities in the country for allergies are in the South.

And while this year’s cold, wet winter is affecting spring allergies this year, recent reports indicate that the warming climate is making pollen counts rise. That’s just one of the many environmental impacts detailed in the National Climate Assessment from earlier this week from the White House.

Here & Now’s Robin Young talks to Mike Tringale of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America about what to expect this season, and the connection between climate change and allergies.

Guest

Mike Tringale, senior vice president of external affairs at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.