NORFOLK, Va. — Allergy season is in full swing in Hampton Roads. Many may be feeling the symptoms, like a runny nose, cough and itchy eyes.
Old Dominion University (ODU) associate professor Jim Blando advised people to consider the natural cycle or the way things naturally go up and down.
However, he said research points to climate change or the long-term change of average temperatures and weather conditions on Earth as a significant reason for the shift in springtime allergies.
"I don't usually sneeze and I noticed last night, I sneezed five times in a row. I was like 'What's going on here?' It's the allergies," said Nichole Pannell, who lives in Ohio.
Pannell is visiting Hampton Roads this week and noticed her allergies. "My allergies don't act up much in Columbus, but here, it's bad, it's bad," she said.
"The data does seem to suggest that the allergy season is starting earlier than it has in the past, it's lasting longer than it has in the past and many of the plants that people have looked at are, in fact, producing more pollen than they have in the past," said Blando, who also chairs ODU's School of Community and Environmental Health. "You'll find that people are, in fact, seeing changes occurring that they think are related to climate change."
"The other interesting thing is they're seeing that the plants, the pollen they're producing seems to be more allergenic than in the past, that the allergen content of the pollen seems to be higher," Blando added.
He also noted not everyone is allergic to the same things, as the different triggers can range from tree, grass and weed pollen to dander and mold.
"In the last week of two, they've just been a lot worse, coughing, cold-type symptoms, but it's not a cold, you could tell," said Julie Keubler, a Chesapeake resident.
Keubler said she may be suffering worse this year than in years past.
A recent report released by The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked Keubler's neighboring city Virginia Beach second in the nation in its list of "most challenging places to live with seasonal pollen allergies."
From an environmental standpoint, Professor Blando suggested investing in HEPA air filters. He recommended the standard kind, which will fit the room you're putting it in.
As for outdoor activities like mowing grass or raking leaves, Blando said wearing an N95 mask could help if you're healthy enough for it.
As for what medical experts suggest, click here.