Besides doing harm to the Earth, climate change may also worsen symptoms of allergies and asthma, a new study has found.
Climate change puts allergy and asthma sufferers at greater risk because it is making pollen seasons last longer, creating more ozone in the air, and even expanding the areas where insects flourish, according to the findings published by HealthDay News on Monday.
In addition to longer pollen seasons, the plant and tree life is changing along with the warmer temperatures, according to the study conducted by researchers at the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska.
"Climate change will cause impacts in every area. Wet areas will get wetter, and dry climates are getting drier," said Jeffrey Demain, director of the center, who led the study. Demain is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Washington.
Those changes will mean that more people with allergies and asthma will suffer. In wet areas, mold allergies will spike, while in drier areas pollens and other airborne irritants will become more of a problem, he said.
Problems caused by climate change are already evident, especially in Alaska, Demain said.
"There's been a significant shift in the ecosystem because of the rises in winter temperatures," he said. "On average, Alaska's temperature has risen 6.4 degrees in winter and 3.4 degrees overall. And, the earlier the snow melts, the earlier the pollen cycle begins."
Demain said it's estimated that 90 percent of the Alaskan tundra will be forested by 2100, and that the types of trees that are most common are changing, too.
The warmer temperatures are also attracting insects. In the past, Alaska hasn't had too many stinging insects. But now, northern Alaska has recently seen a 620 percent increase in the number of people seeking care for bee stings, Demain said.
"The climate is changing, and it's changing at an unprecedented rate. Whether it's a natural cycle, or whether humans are the cause, we have to recognize that this is happening," said Demain.
(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2009)
