It’s that time of year again: springtime. And with the blooming flowers and occasional rain showers, comes watery eyes, itchy throats, and lots of sneezing. Allergy season is upon us.
Like me, you may have had the same exchange with your friends, coworkers, or even your barista: “This allergy season is brutal!” But is it really more unpleasant than previous years?
Is This Year’s Allergy Season Worse Than Usual?
You may think that your area of the country has been hit the hardest by this year’s allergy season. And while you may not be wrong, you’re not exactly right either. “I think this is a common issue across all of the U.S.,” says Jay Jin, an allergist and immunologist at Indiana University School of Medicine. However, in certain areas of the country, weather pattern changes may promote more pollination in our trees and grasses than a typical season, he says.
“Based on what my patients are telling me, it does seem to be a little bit worse than perhaps some of the more recent ones,” Jin says. “But I will say, overall, there’s a lot of variability from season to season.” It’s not unusual…
