DALLAS — If you do not remember sneezing and needing allergy medicine quite as much, there could be a reason why. Recent studies suggest climate change is having an impact on plant patterns and the allergens they release into the air.
But the microclimate, vegetation and allergens they produce could vary greatly depending on where you live.
THE CLAIM
Allergy season has grown longer in North Texas.
OUR SOURCE
Dr. Bob Lanier with Aspire Allergy & Sinus
THE ANSWER
False
WHAT WE FOUND
Weather events dictate the beginning, end and severity of allergy season but the typically dry, arid climate in Dallas-Fort Worth tends to yield a continual season, according to Lanier.
"It may seem longer, but it's probably about the same," he said.
Lanier points to a very small period of time, usually around the beginning of December, when there is not much pollen in the air. But the rest of the year is filled with cedar, ragweed and a variety of other allergens to keep us sneezing all your long.
"It usually starts in December in DFW and continues through the first frost which is usually in November," Lanier said. "It is possible (allergy season) is getting longer up north, but here, it is pretty much all the time."