Allergy Season in New York ‘Longer and Stronger’ Than Usual

Allergy sufferers in New York are in for a rough spring.

With the last full day of winter finally behind us, many New Yorkers already have runny noses, watery eyes and stuffy heads. While everyone has been craving warmer weather, spring is also the beginning of allergy season. And this year is expected to be much worse than usual.

Hudson Valley Allergy Sufferers Already Feeling Miserable

This week has seen an uptick in complaints about common allergy symptoms. If you're experiencing watery eyes, a dry throat and sneezing and think you might be coming down with something, it could just be due to an especially early allergy season.

Thanks to an especially mild winter and warmer-than-usual conditions, New York's allergy season has experienced a jump start. Just take a walk outside and you'll see flowers in bloom, buds on trees and green grass. I already noticed a coating of pollen on my car the other day, something that usually doesn't happen until the beginning of April.

Climate Change Just Part of the Problem This Year

Scientists at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America say that climate change is causing spring to begin up to 20 days earlier and last up to 10 days later than it did 30 years ago. The winter of 2023-2024 saw considerably less snow than normal and warmer conditions which is leading to an even longer and stronger allergy season.

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Aside from temperatures, changes to our atmosphere are also leading problems for allergy sufferers. To compensate for rising carbon dioxide levels, trees are producing stronger concentrations of pollen for longer periods of time.

But climate change isn't the only reason you're now sneezing in March.

Fewer Female Trees Mean More Pollen in New York State

The AAFA also attributes longer allergy seasons to sexism. That's right. It turns out that communities are biased toward planting male trees in parks, along streets and town landscapes.

Many species of trees have female variations that bear fruit, nuts and seeds and male variations that release pollen. In order to avoid cleaning up more debris, municipalities tend to prefer planting male trees. This has led to a "biological sexism" resulting in a high concentration of pollen-producing trees.

Which Allergy Medicine Should You Use?

If you're confused about which allergy medication is best for your situation, take a listen to an interview we broadcast a few years ago with local allergist, Dr. David Resnick. He explains the difference between sprays and pills and which ones work the best.

If you want to try some natural remedies, scroll down for a list of common foods that have been shown to improve allergy symptoms.