The window is rattling again. It’s a late October wind, the kind that used to signal the end of things, the final crisp warning before the quiet of winter. But my head is pounding, my sinuses feel like they’re packed with hot sand, and I’ve sneezed 4 times in the last ten minutes. This isn’t supposed to be happening now. This is a spring problem. A hay fever problem. A problem for May, not for a Tuesday just weeks from November.
For years, I treated my allergies like a recurring, annoying houseguest who always showed up on April 4th and left, thankfully, by the end of June. It was a predictable misery. I’d stock up on antihistamines, suffer through it, and then enjoy six months of clear breathing. But the guest has decided to move in permanently. He’s raiding the fridge in February and throwing parties in September. The calendar we all relied on has been shredded.
The Marathon of Endless Allergy Season
We are living in the era of the endless allergy season. What was once a sprint is now a marathon with no finish line. The data, when you look, is stark. One study found that the North American pollen season has grown longer by an average of 24 days since 1994. Think about that. Nearly a full month of extra sneezing, itching, and watery eyes has been tacked onto our lives. It’s a















