- Spring allergies are starting earlier across the country.
- Many people feel worse symptoms in the spring.
- Warmer weather makes plants produce more pollen.
- Higher temperatures also make pollen seasons longer.
- Pollution can make pollen more irritating to lungs.
- Different plants pollinate together and pollen stays in air.
- This can make symptoms last longer and worse.
- Some adults get allergies for the first time.
- Children often have ear infections and sleep problems.
- Watch for mouth breathing, tiredness, and dark circles.
Difficult words
- allergy — A body reaction to pollen or other thingsallergies
- symptom — A sign or feeling that shows an illnesssymptoms
- pollen — Tiny powder from plants that can cause allergies
- pollution — Dirty air or chemicals that harm breathing
- season — A time of year with similar weatherseasons
- lung — An organ in the chest that helps breathinglungs
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you have allergies in spring?
- Which symptom do you have: mouth breathing, tiredness, or dark circles?
- Do you feel worse on warm days?
Related articles
Low-cost cooling could help Bangladesh garment workers
A University of Sydney study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health on Monday (20 October), tested simple low-cost cooling in a chamber that mimicked extreme factory heat. Fans and water partly restored productivity; a reflective roof cut indoor temperature by 2.5°C.
Newborn antibiotics change gut bacteria and lung immunity
Researchers at University of Rochester Medicine report that antibiotics given to newborns can alter gut bacteria and reprogram lung immune cells in mice and humans. These changes can last into young adulthood and may affect breathing.
Shingles vaccine linked to lower dementia diagnoses in older adults
A study of people 66 and older in skilled nursing facilities found that those who received the recombinant shingles vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over four years, though causation is not certain.