Today, climate change has flooded the worldinformation space. And this cannot but rejoice, because the more we know about the problem, the more we learn about the methods and ways to solve it. Global warming affects not only animals that are losing their habitat, but also you and me. Scientists are concerned about the impact of climate change on human health. And first of all it concerns people suffering from allergies. According to recent studies, climate change will exacerbate the symptoms and frequency of allergies.
Climate change is dangerous for people with allergies, scientists found
Content
- 1 Why is the climate on Earth changing?
- 2 How can climate change cause allergies?
- 3 Ambrosia hay fever - the main threat to the health of allergy sufferers
- 4 How are allergies and climate related?
Why is the climate on Earth changing?
The scientific community is unanimous - climate onour planet is changing rapidly. The anthropogenic factor is to blame - the direct impact of man on the environment. Population growth, deforestation, the use of large amounts of land for agricultural purposes, and the gigantic scale of production of a wide variety of products have a detrimental effect on the climate.
A large amount of emissions into our atmosphereplanet contributes to an increase in average temperature, which, in turn, can lead to disastrous consequences in the very near future. However, today, experts are also concerned about the impact of climate change on human health. The gradual increase in temperature and the record heat that took place in July of this year can significantly worsen the quality of life of many people around the world. Scientists note that allergy sufferers will be among the first to experience climate change.
How can climate change cause allergies?
Those who are familiar with the myths of ancient Greece know that the food of the gods was called ambrosia, which gave them strength. In fact, ragweed is a weed that looks like a bush.
All this is very cool, if not for one but - inin the modern world there is such a disease as ragweed hay fever. Hay fever is called seasonal allergy that people suffer during the flowering of some plants. Hay fever appears as a sore throat, nasal congestion, itching and redness of the eyes. Often, hay fever is accompanied or complicated by asthma.
Ambrosia is the cause of allergies. Scientists have proven that this plant will thrive in the process of climate change.
Despite the fact that there are a large numberplants whose pollen provokes the development of allergies, today the attention of specialists is focused on ragweed. You can find more facts about climate change on our channel in Yandex.Zen.
Ambrosia hay fever is the main threat to the health of allergy sufferers
Ambrosia hay fever causes quarantine weedoriginally from North America. In Russia, the plant appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the south of the country, ragweed blooms from late July to mid-October, causing allergies. Outwardly, ragweed resembles a green and yellow shrub. The strength of the allergens of this little weed exceeds its size: one plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains, causing damage to those who are allergic to pollen.
Global temperature rise is positiveaffects the growth and flowering of ragweed, which will greatly complicate the life of a large number of people. An additional warm 30 days is expected to extend the life and flowering of ragweed and other plants that cause hay fever.
Allergists say the amount of ragweedplants over the past few years has grown, which is a consequence of a longer growing season. According to Stanley Feynman, MD, a former president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, there has been a tendency to increase the number of ragweed plants in the past few years. This is partly due to the increase in the length of the season and the general warming of the climate.
It looks like plant pollen under a microscope
In 2018, a study published inPLOS ONE magazine by scientists from the University of Washington and the University of Massachusetts showed that ragweed will expand its reach as a result of fever. Using machine learning, researchers calculated that after about 35 years, its ecological range would shift north, leading to hay fever in regions where it had not been observed before.
How are allergies and climate related?
Climate and allergies are associated not only with morelong growing periods. Another part of the problem is that ragweed thrives at higher levels of carbon dioxide. Therefore, the greater the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, the better the ambrosia grows and blooms. A study published in 2000 showed that ragweed increased in size when exposed to more carbon dioxide. Also, these weeds produced more pollen.
Do you suffer from hay fever or are you not afraid of pollen? Let's discuss ways to treat and prevent allergies in the comments and with the participants of our Telegram chat.
Seasonal allergies are more than sneezinglacrimation and runny nose. Researchers have found that as seasonal allergies worsen, the number of hospital admissions due to allergies and asthma is increasing worldwide, especially in people under the age of 18. Recall that allergy is the trigger for asthma.