Yes, This is the Worst Allergy Season Ever

And [sniff] next year [sniff sniff] will likely be even [ah-CHOO] worse. It's time to start fighting back.

- By Erica Sweeney

SNIFFLING, ITCHY EYES, GENERALLY feeling like a disembodied head-you swear your allergies haven't ever been this bad. And you're probably right. "I've been an allergist for more than a decade now, and every year seems to be the worst allergy year ever," says Caroline Sokol, M.D., Ph.D., a physician in Massachusetts General Hospital's Allergy & Clinical Immunology Unit.

Blame climate change, which is taking allergens to a whole new level: Pollen season now starts 20 days earlier, lasts ten days longer, and brings 21 percent more pollen than it did in 1990, according to a 2021 study. On top of that, "your body naturally boosts its response to the same allergens every year, making symptoms worse," says Dr. Sokol. And over time, "allergy creep" can happen, too, meaning different allergens set you off.

You can shut your windows, shower off pollen and change after you've been outdoors, and wear a mask when you go out. But those are all defensive maneuvers. You can-and should-go on the offensive with these moves.

CHECK THAT IT'S AN ALLERGY

IT'S HARD TO TELL the difference between the symptoms of a viral illness like Covid and allergies. While a cough coming from your chest is more likely to be Covid and a tickle in your throat could be allergies, the only real way to know what you're dealing with is to test for Covid, says Dr. Sokol.

BEAT POLLEN TO THE PUNCH