New Delhi, India
2024 was undoubtedly a nightmare for allergy sufferers. Climate change has led to unpredictable temperatures and smoke-filled cities, pushing allergy seasons to new extremes.
Let's analyse why 2024 was a perfect storm for allergies and what is next.
How does climate change fuel allergy seasons?
Climate change is reshaping and changing the allergy seasons worldwide. The ideal condition for plants to generate more pollen is created by rising temperatures and increased carbon dioxide levels.
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Recent research indicates that certain allergic plants, such as ragweed, are now releasing pollen for much longer periods, which makes those sensitive to it suffer for a longer time.
Record-breaking temperatures and their impact on allergies
Extreme hot summers have been recorded for the last few years, with very huge consequences for allergic patients. The year 2024 is one of the warmest years on record, with temperatures reaching extreme highs on the globe. These extreme temperatures have thereby hastened the growth of plants, particularly due to the heat island effect in urban areas.
Additionally, dry landscapes caused by high temperatures made it easier for dust and pollen to fly into the atmosphere. All allergy patients claimed that they experienced worse symptoms, from watery eyes to asthma attacks, due to the extended exposure.
A trigger for allergens: Unpredictable weather patterns
Except for the temperature, 2024 welcomed a series of storms and dry spells that did a lot to disturb the entire ecosystem with sudden floods of allergens. Flooding left a pool of stale water and debris of dead plants around which thrived mold spores.
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Meanwhile, dry and windy conditions spread allergens over larger areas. Nandini, a 22-year-old, says, "In November, my allergies were relentless. The rise in pollution made my health even worse. I could not escape the mold inside or the pollen outside."
Air pollution and it's role in aggravating allergies
In November 2020, the maximum AQI reported was 518. In 2021 November, the maximum reached 700. In 2022, it was 555, and 528 in 2023. But the highest was reported in November 2024, when the AQI reached a record high of 795.
Numbers are telling a death story. On Diwali 2024, Delhi recorded its 24-hour average AQI as 330, higher compared to previous years, and in fact, the most polluted Diwali in the last three years.
And it didn't stop there. November 2024 saw AQI levels consistently reach hazardous levels. Hospitals were overwhelmed by patients with pollution-related illnesses, and many residents, especially those having pre-existing respiratory conditions, had a hard time breathing.
On November 14, GRAP Stage 3 was activated, which wasn't put into the more severe Stage 4 restrictions until AQI increased to 400 on November 18.
25-year-old Palak says, “My allergies turned into constant coughing and sneezing, even air purifiers didn’t help. My skin also suffered a lot.”
Mehar, an asthma patient, said, "The hazardous air of 2024 unleashed a hell for my allergy. Cough, sneezing, and congestion were like a never-ending thing."
Why allergy seasons are getting longer every year
Climate change makes pollen seasons start earlier and last longer. In some regions, pollen counts were observed in November 2024, a month that is typically free of allergens.
Scientists attributed this shift to warmer winters and frosts that delay the plants' dormancy, allowing them to continue producing allergens. If left unchecked, this trend could indicate nearly year-round allergy seasons in the coming decades.
Asthma rise: A silent crisis of 2024
Allergies and asthma go hand-in-hand, and it is one of the years in which there was an increase in asthma attacks. This time, with pollen, pollution, and smoke all contributing factors, it was experienced by those who never had one. Experts say this will continue unless climate change is stopped
The connection between climate change and worsening allergies is no longer a distant concern. This is a reality we are living by. 2024 has shown us that inaction costs us not just melting glaciers and increasing sea levels, but also our health that we are losing, the air we breathe, and the lives that are affected by seemingly insignificant things like allergies.
The question now is no longer how are we adapting, but how far are we willing to protect ourselves and our coming generations. Addressing the situation is not just about saving the country or planet, it is saving our health, ourselves, and where every breath feels like a battle we have to fight for.
So, should we act, or will we let the seasons grow longer, the air grow heavier, and the suffering worsen? The choice is ours, but the clock is ticking.
Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer