Climate Change Has Made Allergy Season Worse. How Do We Cope?

It’s not just in your stuffy head. Seasonal allergies are getting worse as pollen season gets longer and more intense.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  WNYC Studios is supported by Wise. Wise, the smart way to manage the currencies you need around the world. With a Wise account, you can send, spend and receive in up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Be smart, get wise. Download the Wise app today. Terms and conditions apply. WNYC Studios is supported by Odoo. When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at O D O O dot com.

• 0:45Speaker 00

  That's O D O O dot com. WNYC is supported by Bear. Science is about asking questions, testing, trying again. It's not easy, but it's relentless. It evolves, and that's why science delivers. Learn more at sciencedelivers.com.

• 1:05Ira Flatow?

  This is Science Friday. I'm Ira Flatow with Flora Lickman. Spring has sprung in many parts of the country, those first buds bursting, flowers opening. They're all welcome signs of the season, right? Absolutely. Well, not if you have, listen to my voice, Flora. Not if you have allergies. I can tell you this, it's the endless sneezing, the watery eyes, the runny noses. You get the picture, just you could hear it. I can hear it. You could hear it. Well, well, if misery loves company, you're not alone because according to the CDC, a quarter of US adults deal with seasonal allergies. And if you think they're getting worse, it's not just in your stuffed head because climate

• 1:47Ira Flatow?

  change, climate change does play a big role. Joining me to talk about the science of seasonal allergies is my guest, Dr. Nita Ogden, Director of the Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center in Edison, New Jersey. She's right here with us in the studios. Welcome to Science Friday. Thank you for having me. So it's allergy season. Is our allergies on the rise?

• 2:09Speaker 02

  Very much so. This is a trend that, you know, it's been ongoing. We're talking about it a lot now because climate change is very much a topic in the news and the headlines for many reasons. But this has been ongoing for, I'd say, the last two decades where we are seeing rising pollen counts, worsening seasons, and yes, climate change is figuring into it because why? Warmer temperatures, higher carbon dioxide levels, these are really the ideal and climate associated with more moisture. These are the ideal elements leading to robust plant growth, which then in turn leads to soaring pollen counts.

• 2:50Ira Flatow?

  Yeah, and the season starts earlier.

• 2:51Speaker 02

  Yes, we're seeing seasons start earlier. Actually, recent studies are showing that they start almost three weeks earlier. So there have been, you know, stories that I've done where people, especially in the southeast, the season's starting in late February.

• 3:05Ira Flatow?

  Wow.

• 3:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's crazy.

• 3:07Ira Flatow?

  I've known over the years from my allergies that there seem to be certain plants that I'm allergic to more than others, right?

• 3:14Speaker 02

  Definitely. The spring season, especially in early spring, it's trees. Trees are causing those really intense itchy eyes and really intense spring season symptoms. That's followed by later spring by grass, and that goes from about May, mid-May into June, and then come late summer, we're talking about ragweed into early fall. So there definitely are certain plants, and, you know, if you really make the effort and start realizing that you're allergic to springtime pollens, you might see an allergist and get tested who can then actually share, you know, which trees are a problem for you.

• 3:54Ira Flatow?

  Right. Let's go to phones. Let's go to Lucy in Cleveland. Hi Lucy, welcome to Science Friday.

• 4:03Speaker 03

  Hey Ira, thank you. Listen, I can tell you that they do still do those scratch tests because I had one done two years ago and the doctor came back in the room 15 minutes after she put the grass mix on my back and she said, "Wow, you are super allergic to the grass mix." So I wanted to share for your listeners that because I choose not to use over the counter or prescription medication, there is a natural substance, it's called Quercetin and it's spelled Q-U-E-R-E-D-I-T. I'm not sure if I'm spelling it correctly. It's a natural, over the counter supplement that I take. If you have blood pressure issues, I don't think you can take it, but it's very effective. And I also want to share that

• 4:44Speaker 03

  we had a pet for almost 18 years who had severe grass and other allergies. We had him tested and once his blood test came back as severely allergic, we put him on immunotherapy drops that worked for him really, really well for 10 years.

• 4:59Ira Flatow?

  Let me get a reaction from Dr. Ogden.

• 5:02Speaker 02

  Yeah, there are studies that show that Quercetin, which I believe is related to turmeric, is an anti-inflammatory and can be helpful with allergies. And in my experience as a physician, I see that as an adjuvant therapy that can help people who are already potentially on medications or immunotherapy. So that's one way that certainly. And then the drops you're talking about are something that are being used in the treatment of allergies and they're not FDA approved, but they're definitely out there.

• 5:34Ira Flatow?

  Yeah. Okay, let's go back to the phones. Eden in Manhattan. Hi, welcome to Science Friday.

• 5:39Speaker 03

  Hi.

• 5:40Ira Flatow?

  Hi there.

• 5:41Speaker 03

  Can you hear me?

• 5:42Ira Flatow?

  Yeah, go ahead.

• 5:43Speaker 03

  Okay. Well, just kind of following up on your last guest and then this one as well. Ira, by the way, I love you, never called. But I was just wondering about the seasonal allergies thing because I grew up in the country and I was exposed to everything, you know? And your last guest was talking about exposure therapy and I still do get seasonal allergies and also dust.

• 6:12Speaker 04

  And I did take one of those tests, you know, when I was an adult. And I did come up positive for dust mites. Is it mites? That's what I'm asking.

• 6:20Speaker 02

  It is dust mite.

• 6:21Ira Flatow?

  Is it the mites or is it the dust?

• 6:22Speaker 02

  It's dust mite is typically what it's the allergen is dust mite.

• 6:26Ira Flatow?

  Hmm. You know, I had a lot of allergies, as my listeners know. When I was a kid, I was allergic to pollen, grasses and weeds. I couldn't sit in the grass.

• 6:36Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 6:37Ira Flatow?

  And I would just that night, but I grew out of it.

• 6:39Speaker 02

  Mm hmm.

• 6:40Ira Flatow?

  Is that common?

• 6:41Speaker 02

  Yes, that can happen for sure. And in fact, we see, especially with like allergic asthma, we can see a bimodal thing where you have it in as in your childhood. It goes away and then it comes back in your early adulthood, maybe your 30s. But if they've gone away completely, that's great for you. I often see it return in adulthood, especially with these intense seasons. It ends up being an issue again. Can you microdose for seasonal allergies? Um, so the way we actually do it is called not microdosing, but immunotherapy. And so there the the main way that, you know, we've traditionally done is through allergy shots.

• 7:23Ira Flatow?

  Me.

• 7:24Speaker 02

  Those wicked allergy shots.

• 7:25Ira Flatow?

  Looking at me because I had them for years when I was a teenager.

• 7:26Speaker 02

  Oh, I should have asked you that because that typically ends up with the scenario where people are this kind of essentially cured of their allergies. So allergy shots, if you can stick with them, they can take three to five years, you know, of a week, you know, monthly, weekly, then monthly appointments. But that's a form of microdosing where we're taking, you know, increasing amounts of the allergen and injecting it so that the immune system begins to tolerate it.

• 7:52Ira Flatow?

  Yeah.

• 7:53Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 7:54Ira Flatow?

  Yeah. You've done some research on one of my favorite topics, the microbiome.

• 7:59Speaker 02

  Mm hmm.

• 8:00Ira Flatow?

  And probiotics are possible treatments?

• 8:03Speaker 02

  Again, you know, like similar to the caller, probiotics, without a doubt, we know the gut microbiome has a very big role in our immune system, especially in infancy and creating, communicating with T cells and, you know, our immune system as it matures to tolerate things, to regulate the immune response so that it's not overreactive. And so probiotics have come in in that way to see if they can help, you know, how we respond to allergens. And it has shown promise, especially for an allergic condition in children, atopic dermatitis or eczema. But in terms of seasonal allergies, it's got potential, but no studies have sort of definitively say, yeah, take

• 8:47Speaker 02

  it. So again, it might be something that's helpful, just about maintaining, you know, a good environment in the gut microbiome.

• 8:57Ira Flatow?

  We have to take a quick break, but don't go away. More on this when we come back.

• 9:02Speaker 02

  They're trying to guess at what's going to make them feel better. And so they can make things worse.

• 9:11Flora Lichtman?

  Science Friday is supported by Planet Visionaries, the podcast created in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Stay tuned for a trailer and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

• 9:23Speaker 06

  Do you want to hear about visionaries creating a better world? People working in conservation, exploration, science and tech, alongside storytellers imagining and creating a better future. I'm Alex Honnold, professional rock climber and founder of the Honnold Foundation, bringing you season six of Planet Visionaries. This season, I speak to guests like National Geographic photographer Tom Pesciak and Anna Raffman, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute, USA, in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Watch Planet Visionaries on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 9:53Speaker 07

  And from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, working to enhance public understanding of science, technology, and economics in the modern world.

• 10:04Ira Flatow?

  What do you see is the biggest common mistake people make?

• 10:08Speaker 02

  I think people make the mistake of sort of waiting too long to take care of their allergies. Preparation is so key, especially now when seasons are starting earlier because of climate change. So if you are known allergy suffer, having your medications, especially if you have allergic asthma, checking in with your doctor so that your inhalers, for example, are not expired. And being ready and taking these medicines even before the season starts can be extremely helpful because once that season hits, and we're really headed towards that in New York because it's been these kind of like wet, cold days, but that sunny, hot day, it will start and it can create a vicious cycle that can be hard to reverse, that can take stronger medications if you're not prepared.

• 10:53Ira Flatow?

  All right, let's go, let's try to go to Vermont and Marlboro. Andy, hi, welcome to Science Friday.

• 11:00Speaker 03

  Hi there, how are you?

• 11:01Ira Flatow?

  Fine, go ahead.

• 11:03Speaker 03

  Good. So I have an interesting history with allergies. When I was a teenager, I had really bad allergies for ragweed and all kinds of things. I would go away for the weekend and just be miserable in the country. When I was 28 years old, I was in an antique rug store and I got a horrible asthma attack. And ever since that asthma attack, I have never had any issue with any allergy. I am literally allergy free.

• 11:37Ira Flatow?

  Can you tell us where that store was? We don't like to go there.

• 11:41Speaker 03

  Peter Bear in New Hampshire. But, you know, my asthma has become so mild, it's almost a non-issue. So I would take that trade every day of the weekend. I'm just curious, is there any medical explanation for that?

• 11:58Ira Flatow?

  Could it be a coincidence?

• 11:59Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, honestly, I feel like you should count yourself as a lucky one. This isn't very common. And so, you know, without taking a longer history, did you move or, you know, maybe out of an environment that has the allergens to which you were very allergic, could that have, that might have played an issue? Otherwise, you know, this is kind of a unique scenario.

• 12:22Flora Lichtman?

  Can you make your allergies worse by using the wrong medication? I'm asking because I feel like I live on Visine. It's like an IV drip for me during allergy season.

• 12:31Speaker 02

  Oh, my God.

• 12:32Flora Lichtman?

  You're cringing. Uh oh.

• 12:34Speaker 02

  Right. And I'm so glad you asked that because what I end up seeing in my office often is, you know, people who are navigating the massive allergy aisles in the pharmacy that are full of medications that have multiple ingredients and they're, they're trying to guess at what's going to make them feel better and so they can make things worse. And Visine is one of those things that I do end up feeling is a culprit there because it's really not treating the ocular allergy and.

• 13:00Flora Lichtman?

  What's the problem with it?

• 13:02Speaker 02

  I mean, it's more that it's like taking the red out, exactly what it says. But, you know, with overuse, it can cause rebound symptoms. You know, so it's never really effectively going to treat the source.

• 13:12Ira Flatow?

  Yeah, but there are so many antihistamines.

• 13:14Speaker 02

  Right.

• 13:15Ira Flatow?

  Are there good ones and bad ones?

• 13:17Speaker 02

  I really believe like, you know, the literature shows us that these newer antihistamines are called second generation antihistamines because they have, you know, fewer side effects than kind of the old school things. Those are the best place to start and the generics and.

• 13:32Ira Flatow?

  Do they have a name?

• 13:33Speaker 02

  Yeah. Yeah. Allegra, which is vexofenidine, Zurtec, deslorididine and.

• 13:39Ira Flatow?

  These are new generations, you say.

• 13:40Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 13:41Ira Flatow?

  They work differently.

• 13:42Speaker 02

  They've been around for a long time. They're a little different from like Benadryl, which someone, everyone seems to reach for.

• 13:48Ira Flatow?

  I do it when I go to sleep.

• 13:50Speaker 02

  Right. That's the thing. It has that and it also, you know, doesn't, it lasts four to six hours. These last for 24 hours. And then intranasal steroid sprays, that's another cornerstone of treating seasonal allergies like the Nasonex, nasal cort, Flonase. And finally, the Right Eye Drops. So these are drops that have antihistamines.

• 14:09Flora Lichtman?

  Don't go away more on this when we come back.

• 14:11Speaker 02

  Pataday. That's sort of the holy grail of flu allergies, trying to get rid of it completely.

• 14:15Flora Lichtman?

  I'm writing them down. Let's go to the phones. Let's go to Laura in South Dakota.

• 14:21Flora Lichtman?

  Hi Laura, are you there? Hi. I, yes, can you hear me? Yeah, go ahead. I am wondering about, actually about microdosing and with EOE. I have a child that. has E O E and a sesame allergy and I'm wondering about microdosing with an E O E.

• 14:40Ira Flatow?

  Can you tell us what an E O E is, doctor?

• 14:43Speaker 02

  Yeah, eosinophilic esophagitis. And honestly, I don't, you know, the word microdosing, it's, it doesn't really, you know, I feel like it might fall into things that people are trying at home. And I don't know if that's what you're talking about. I think E O E.

• 14:58Flora Lichtman?

  Uh, no, I'm talking about more like in a clinic setting.

• 15:01Speaker 02

  Oh, okay.

• 15:01Flora Lichtman?

  If it goes into sesame.

• 15:03Speaker 02

  Oh, okay. So like immunotherapy, which would be, you know, giving smaller doses of sesame. I, I don't know that, that there isn't a protocol for sesame that might be widely used. I think in certain academic and clinical settings, it is something that you would find. So I would definitely speak to your allergist about it, which you probably already have. And with E O E, I know that the biologic like dupilumab has actually been recently shown to be helpful as well.

• 15:34Ira Flatow?

  All right, let's go to another call, Queens, New York. Susan in Queens, welcome to Science Friday.

• 15:39Speaker 03

  Hi, Ira. Hi, Flora.

• 15:41Speaker 02

  Hi there.

• 15:42Speaker 03

  So I'm, I'm interested in knowing, or I've read studies where they've shown that Amish children have fewer dairy allergies, environmental type allergies, which I think is related to the fact that they milk cows, they play in hay, and I've noticed that, like even my young grandchildren, nobody plays really outside in the dirt anymore.

• 16:12Speaker 02

  I think this is, yeah.

• 16:13Speaker 03

  I just wanted to comment that I think that maybe that has something to do with this rise in all kinds of environmental allergies.

• 16:21Ira Flatow?

  All right, Susan, let's get an answer.

• 16:23Speaker 02

  You're touching upon, you know, a pretty hot topic in allergy, which is called the hygiene hypothesis, which very much speaks to exactly what you're talking about, that people on farms or even in underdeveloped countries who, you know, maybe don't have this hyperclean environment with the antibacterial soaps and like, you know, all the vaccine schedules that we are following, which is actually helpful, I'm not putting that down. But there are things that have led toward a shift in more industrialized, westernized countries where we aren't playing with mud or having exposure to, like you said, farm animals, that actually there's some thinking.

• 16:59Speaker 02

  Build up the immune system away from the allergic arm. So it is something that, you know, if you've seen it, there is thought that that is part of the reason why there's an increase in allergy, especially in these countries.

• 17:10Ira Flatow?

  Well, I want to thank you, Dr. Ogden, for taking time to be with us today.

• 17:13Speaker 02

  Thank you so much for having me.

• 17:14Ira Flatow?

  Fascinating stuff. Dr. Anita Ogden, Director of the Allergy, Asthma, and Sinus Center in Edison, New Jersey.

• 17:24Ira Flatow?

  That's about all the time we have for now. A lot of people helped make this show happen.

• 17:29Speaker 06

  Dee Peterschmidt. Phyllis Samars.

• 17:32Ira Flatow?

  Emma Gomez. Jackie Hirschfeld. I'm Ira Flatow. Thanks for listening.