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Changes in Onset of Spring Linked to More Allergies Across the US:
Human-induced climate change is disrupting nature's calendar, including when plants bloom and the spring season starts, and new research from the University of School of Public Health suggests we're increasingly paying the price for it in the form of seasonal allergies.
The study, based on over 300,000 respondents between 2002 and 2013, shows that seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, increases when the timing of spring "greenup" changes. The findings were published today in the journal PLOS ONE.
"We found that areas where the onset of spring was earlier than normal had 14% higher prevalence of hay fever," said Associate Professor Amir Sapkota in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. "Surprisingly, we also found similar risk in areas where the onset of spring was much later than what is typical for that geographic location," he added.
The study provides the first national-level quantitative data showing how ongoing climate change is increasing the allergic disease burden in the United States. Hay fever, or "seasonal allergic rhinitis," affects 25 million adults in the United States and results in $11.2 billion in related medical expenses annually.
[...] The reason for increased hay fever when spring arrives early seems to be related to pollen exposure. An earlier onset of spring means trees flower sooner and create a longer season for tree pollen, which is the major source of spring seasonal allergens. But a very late onset of spring may mean many species of trees simultaneously burst in bloom, blasting allergy suffers with a high concentration of pollen for a shorter duration.
Journal Reference:
Amir Sapkota, et. al. Associations between alteration in plant phenology and hay fever prevalence among US adults: Implication for changing climate. PLOS ONE, 2019; 14 (3): e0212010 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212010
How many Soylentils suffer from seasonal allergies and how do you deal with it?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @02:25PM (5 children)
I am getting so sick of climate change "scientists" and "journalists" finding some way to attribute the normal variability in weather patterns to man-made changes in climate. Spring, as in when the weather warms up and the snow disappears, the birds return, and every thing turns green again-not the equinox, does not occur on the exact same day every year but rather it can vary annually by weeks. In the northern cold states the greening usually happens mid-late April, but sometimes it happens early as late in March, sometimes as late as early May. It's always been variable. Old weather logs from hundreds of years ago, pre-fossil-fuel industrial times, will contain notes stating "Spring came early this year", then other years will have notes "Spring is late this year, winter still has us in it's grasp."
In addition trees like all plants don't produce the same amount of flowers every year. A wet rainy spring combined with abundant winter run-off will make the trees flower heavily, whereas a dry hot spring and trees produce less flowers, less pollen, and thus less sneezing. Expected variability in weather patterns and plant biology is not a symptom or result of man made climate change.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @02:34PM
Yes it is. The theory is designed to "predict" everything.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @05:51PM (1 child)
also they have "calendars" etched in massive stones at the bottom of european rivers.
the message mostly reads: did dive to write this message and went hungry this year ...
now if only we could make a calendar with snot or sumething ...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @05:55PM
oops, meant to write "did not dive to write this message" e.g. the stone was dry.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by The Shire on Saturday March 30 2019, @07:16PM (1 child)
As soon as I saw the phrase "Human-induced climate change is disrupting nature's calendar" I knew there was an agenda behind this study that made it irrelevant. I'm sure these "researchers" produced exactly the kind of report they were asked for.
Unsuprisingly there is no mention of the group that funded this study.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @09:40PM
I agree, it amazes me how people think that putting blame and guilt on people will make them act constructively. That's not a method I've seen work in real life. I see the exact opposite happening a lot. If we want to solve this problem we need to focus on the problem when we discuss it. We need to include as many people as possible, also those who don't believe that the problem is caused by humans. I'm sure that everyone no matter their beliefs or opinions can contribute to solve the problem. It doesn't matter if anyone is to blame. It matters that we solve the problem. We need to work together.
I'm in the reforestation camp. That's my solution.