'Unusually early' start to allergy season in B.C. linked to changing climate

Allergy season arrived in Metro Vancouver abnormally early this year, and specialists say there's growing evidence to suggest a connection to climate change.

According to Dr. Ross Chang, an allergist based in Burnaby, patients started showing symptoms of seasonal allergies in January.

"That's unusually early even for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, and we think that's perhaps connected to climate change. The season seems to be getting earlier and earlier as the weather warms," Chang told CBC News.

B.C. isn't an outlier, according to Cecilia Sierra-Heredia, a health sciences lecturer at Simon Fraser University who researches the connection between allergies and climate.

She says similar trends are being seen across Canada and around the world.

"We have earlier starts to the spring, to the pollen season, and larger numbers of pollen grains in the air," Sierra-Heredia said.

This can mean serious consequences for people who suffer from allergies. Chang says he's starting to see more patients with asthma caused by allergies, and often those patients will need more intense treatment.

"Some patients can be severely affected by allergy symptoms, especially if they can't breathe," he said.

Sierra-Heredia noted that visits to the emergency room have also increased on days when the pollen count is especially high.

"Things are just going to continue to worsen, unless we take solid action mitigating climate change," she said.

For Shaylene Kostiuk, who is allergic to tree and grass pollen, all the pollen in the air can make a simple walk in the park nearly unbearable.

"I have shortness of breath, and [I'm] just feeling lethargic and yucky — constantly itchy eyes, and I get a stuffy nose," she said.

At times, the symptoms are so bad they keep her up at night.

"It is not fun to live with. It takes away from your life with your family, and going out and having fun with friends. It isn't just as easy as popping a Reactine for some people," Kostiuk said.

Chang and Sierra-Heredia say people who are experiencing allergy symptoms can take over-the-counter medication, close their windows, wear a face mask or use an air-filtration system.

For more severe symptoms, a prescription for stronger medications or a referral to an allergy specialist might be necessary.