June 3, 2025 | Originally published in MedPage Today
By: Benjamin Wibonele, MD
If you live almost anywhere in the U.S., you’ve probably noticed it: the dusting of yellow powder on your car, your windowsill, and even your eyelashes. This spring, Americans have been engulfed by an overwhelming wave of pollen — not just an inconvenience, but a historic high.
As both a physician and a lifelong allergy sufferer, I’ve experienced this season not only through my own congestion and watery eyes, but through the struggles of my wife and patients as well. And I can tell you: something is different this year.
The numbers back it up. Across the country, cities have recorded some of the highest pollen counts in decadesopens in a new tab or window, with daily readings soaring well above what used to be considered extreme. In major metro areas from Atlanta to New York to Los Angeles, pollen counts have exceeded thresholds that send emergency departments and urgent care centers into overdrive. For instance, in mid-March, metro Atlantaopens in a new tab or window saw multiple days where the pollen count exceeded 4,000 — a level that, just a few years ago, would have been considered almost apocalyptic for allergy sufferers. Pollen season is starting earlier, lasting longer, and hitting harder…READ THE FULL ARTICLE>
Benjamin Wibonele, MD, is a physician and otolaryngology resident at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta. Wibonele is a 2025 Climate Health Equity Fellowopens in a new tab or window with the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.
The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health or its members.