Average temperatures in the Pittsburgh region have risen by 2 degrees Fahrenheit or more over the past 50 years, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Due in large part to a warming climate, the region is ranked as the fifth most challenging place to live with allergies of 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S., according to a new report by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
The first four metro areas on the list are Scranton, Pa.; Richmond, Va.; Wichita, Kan.; and McAllen, Texas, on the Mexico-Texas border. The rankings are based on spring and fall pollen scores, over-the-counter medicine use and the availability of board-certified allergists.
According to the report, “both spring and fall pollen has increasingly gotten worse every year with longer, warmer growing seasons caused by climate change. These seasons produce stronger pollen at higher quantities.”
Dr. Christin L. Deal, a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, said it’s noteworthy to see two Pennsylvania metro areas in the top five but noted that both have experienced significant temperature increases in the past 50 years.
“To have two in the top five, I’m surprised to see that,” said Dr. Deal, who moved from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh last summer and immediately noticed her own allergies were worse. “Those cities had significant temperature increases since 1970, and that’s an interesting correlation.”
Average springtime temperatures in Pittsburgh have risen 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit, while fall temperatures are up 2 degrees on average. That’s caused the average growing season — that is the number of consecutive days the temperature is above freezing — to stretch by 18 days.
Scranton average temperatures are up 2.5 degrees in the spring and 2.6 degrees in the fall.
The link between longer, warmer growing seasons and plant pollen production is strengthened by a study published in the February 2021 Proceedings of the National Academy of Science online journal that found pollen concentrations had increased by 20% and the changing climate is the primary cause.
“We found very strong statistical links between warmer temperatures and pollen levels,” said William Anderegg, assistant professor of biology at the University of Utah and lead author of the study, which measured long-term pollen trends at more than 60 data collection stations in the U.S. and Canada from 1990 to 2018.
Mr. Anderegg said warmer temperatures not only result in a longer growing season but also cause plants to produce more flowers, which can lead to more pollen production. The study concluded that “ climate-driven pollen trends are likely to further exacerbate respiratory health impacts in coming decades.”
Mr. Anderegg said the findings provide added urgency to efforts to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause a warming world.
“This is not a problem that is far away,” he said. “It’s right here in our backyards every spring.”
Seasonal allergies, often referred to as “hay fever” or seasonal allergic rhinitis, are among the country’s most common, but overlooked, chronic diseases, the report states. More than 50 million Americans live with incurable nasal allergies, and about half of those have life-limiting seasonal allergies that cause sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, coughing and nose or throat congestion.
Those symptoms can last for a few weeks or months, commonly in spring or fall when trees, grass and weeds release minute pollen particles to fertilize other plants, and the fall, when weed pollen, especially ragweed pollen, is released.
Although such seasonal allergies are pervasive and the number of allergy sufferers is growing, state and county health departments have devoted few resources to the diseases.
Maggi Barton, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said allergies “are not reportable in Pennsylvania; we do not collect data on them.” And in response to questions, Aime Downs, the county’s communications director, said in an email response that the Allegheny County Health Department doesn’t have anyone who is an expert in pollen allergies.
In the silver lining department, the AAFA report does note that while seasonal allergies are a growing concern, they did decline in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions that kept people inside more, leading to reduced exposure to airborne pollen even though there was more of it in the air. Childhood asthma was significantly reduced due to closed schools and less time spent outdoors.
“We did see a decrease in the number of hospital visits last year,” Dr. Deal said, “but it’s unclear if it was due to the allergy symptoms being better controlled or because people were wary of coming to a doctor’s office during a pandemic.”
While allergies can’t be cured, they can be managed with prevention and treatment, Dr. Deal said. Individuals who exhibit symptoms should be tested and evaluated for the type of allergen and then try to avoid it if possible. Medications targeting allergy symptoms can be helpful, she said, as can allergy shots for those with more severe symptoms.
Mr. Anderegg said choosing urban and residential vegetation that is pollinated by insects instead of the wind can also help reduce exposure to airborne pollen. Plants pollinated by the wind include pines, juniper, cedars and many tree species, he said. Insects are the primary pollinators for Rocky Mountain columbine, and many wild flowers.
Don Hopey: dhopey@post-gazette.com
First Published: March 26, 2021, 6:08 p.m.
Updated: March 26, 2021, 10:50 p.m.
