As we shared with you yesterday, this year's extreme weather may be causing allergy season to show up ahead of schedule. Typically, people who suffer from seasonal allergies can get a bit of a reprieve in the winter, as the cold temperatures aren't conducive to many usual allergens like mold and pollen. But the weather in 2014 is already off to a wild start, with thermostats jumping from subzero temperatures one day to 50 degrees the next. As a result of this sudden influx of warm weather days, allergy season is starting to creep in earlier than usual – and San Francisco residents are beginning to feel the effects.
Local news affiliate ABC7 reports that a warm winter in the Bay Area means a sooner-than-expected onset of allergies for many San Franciscans. Although some may attribute recent coughing and sneezing to a cold, many are reporting more persistent symptoms – such as itchy, watery eyes – that are indicative of hay fever.
"Both my husband I have been having really severe allergies lately and we're not really sure where it's coming from," Alisa Grassie, a Bay Area local, told the source.
ABC7 spoke with an allergist about the phenomenon, who said "unusually high pollen levels" are to blame – allergens that aren't typically seen until spring but, because of the year's erratic weather thus far, have already started to appear. Even more disconcerting is that this isn't expected to be a flash-in-the-pan development. The last four years have seen a steady rise of hay fever cases in the winter, indicating this more protracted allergy season may end up becoming the new norm.
But you can beat back against these allergens with help from Allergy Be Gone. We carry a wide range of allergy prevention products, such as allergenic bedding, that can help cut down on the number of allergic triggers in your house and leave you with a more worry-free season.
