Studies revealed that global warming may contribute to miserable and chronic allergies. Warming temperature may lead to longer blooming season and increasing carbon dioxide levels creating more allergy-causing pollens.
Changing climate and global warming can worsen allergies. Rising carbon dioxide levels could lead to more plant growth and eventually more pollen. Carbon dioxide is essential for plants in photosynthesis ( the process of plant's production of food). According to The Verge, in order to reproduce plants, needs to transfer pollens from male to female flower.
Pollination occurs all throughout the season; trees on spring, grasses, and weeds on summer, ragweed in fall. This is a challenge for people suffering from seasonal allergies. As the pollen invades the body, it stimulates the immune system allowing some chemicals to be secreted such as histamine that causes itchiness and swelling.
Furthermore, a rising carbon dioxide level also leads to longer growing season, allowing plans to produce more pollen for long period of time. Hay fever, also called as seasonal allergy is mainly caused by ragweed. Ragweed grown in laboratories was discovered to be producing more pollen when carbon dioxide levels are increased.
Meanwhile, according to American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), roughly 7.8 percent of people 18 and over have hay fever. In 2010, survey shows that white children in the United States were more predisposed to hay fever (10 percent) compared to black children (7 percent). Worldwide, allergic rhinitis affects 10 percent to 20 percent of the population.
AAAAI also states that the culprit behind rising allergy and asthma diagnosis rates is the theory of "hygiene hypothesis". The theory states that too neat and too clean environment does not train people's immune system to be exposed to germs and other allergy-causing substances. This concept is being supported by studies as kids who live in farms develop fewer allergic cases.
