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Wisconsin residents battling itchy eyes, runny noses and relentless sneezing this summer might figure this year’s allergy season is worse than years past. They would be right.
Even Madison doctors are feeling the season’s extra intensity in the number of patients they treat for allergy symptoms.
A UW Health allergist says this year’s allergy season is already more severe than previous ones — and changing weather patterns could be helping fuel the misery.
Previously, seasonal allergies linked to tree pollen would typically begin in April. This year, Dr. Mark Moss began seeing patients experiencing seasonal allergy symptoms in March.
Moss, who also is an immunologist, does research on the topic at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Researchers have been measuring pollen counts in Madison for close to three decades using a device on the roof of UW Health’s University Hospital to measure ambient pollen — the amount of pollen floating in the air at any given time. Scientists and doctors use the data to help them study seasonal allergy risk and year-to-year changes in pollen production. The data is also shared with the National Allergy Bureau.
In 2024, the device measured tree pollen as early as February, “which is very unprecedented,” Moss said.
Allergy seasons are starting earlier, he said. And dry weather makes pollen circulation worse.
“This year, we’ve had very little rain through the spring,” he said.
That means patients who suffer allergies started feeling symptoms sooner and their conditions have been more severe.
UW Health allergist Dr. Mark Moss says global warming has contributed to earlier, longer and more severe allergy seasons for millions of Americans, making UW Health’s pollen-counting station even more important.
JOHN HART / WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
“For people that are allergic to pollen or sensitive to pollen, when they breathe pollen into their nose, or it lands in their eyes, or they breathe into their lungs, it can cause inflammation, which leads to all the symptoms people are familiar with,” Moss explained.
That includes congestion, coughing, wheezing, a runny nose, sneezing, itchy and watering eyes, and trouble breathing. Young children experiencing seasonal allergies can be more likely to develop corresponding conditions like ear infections. Adults can be more likely to suffer sinus infections. And those with preexisting asthma conditions can experience additional difficulty breathing.
Tree pollen typically peaks in May and dies off by June. But patients still suffering allergies well into June might be responding to grass pollen. That usually lasts through much of the summer.
“The patients that are allergic to both tree pollen and grass pollen get a double whammy,” Moss said.
That means healthcare resources are strained as more Madisonians seek help.
He and other doctors are seeing an increase in patients needing help to manage allergy symptoms this year.
“We definitely have felt pressure to be able to see more patients, and we are actively recruiting additional physicians and clinic staff to continue expanding our ability to provide care,” Moss said.
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Unfortunately, he said, the easiest way to avoid allergic reactions is to stay inside and avoid pollen. But that’s no fun during summer, so the next best option is to identify medications that help reduce symptoms.
The most effective treatments are nasal steroid sprays like Flonase, Nasicord, Brinocort, Nasax and Flonase Sensinist, Moss said.
“Universally, they will improve the most symptoms for the lowest cost,” he said.
Other treatment options include oral antihistamine tablets, as well as liquid antihistamines for children. Those include brands like Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra or Zyzal, which can help decrease sneezing, itching or a runny nose but don’t do as much for nasal congestion, Moss said.
Typically a doctor can help identify which medications might be the best fit for a patient’s individual symptoms. The longer and more intense allergy season has changed the way Moss approaches patient care.
“We know that the allergy season is starting earlier and is lasting longer into the fall, and as a result, we encourage and empower patients to make sure they’re continuing their medications later into the fall, starting them earlier in the spring,” he said.