Struggles of Spring

I really love spring.

I often find myself admiring the blooming flowers, vibrant colours, green landscape and pleasant weather it offers.

Here’s the truth tho, the same spring I adore doesn’t always feel gentle on my body.

For many people like me, spring marks the beginning of sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny noses. We often associate PM2.5 particles with vehicle emissions and smoke, but natural pollen spreading through the air during spring is one of the overlooked seasonal triggers of our atmosphere.

Studies suggest that pollen and fungi can contribute between 4% and 11% of PM2.5 particles in the air.

While smoke or dust are often noticed, these pollen cannot always be seen.

Yet billions of tiny grains travel through the air every flowering season. Every flowering season, plants release pollen into the air to reproduce.

These pollen may be natural, but polluted air makes its effects feel much worse.

This happens because air pollutants in our atmosphere interact with pollen which increases irritation and worsens allergic reactions. For some people, spring arrives with flowers.

For others, it arrives with a sneeze.

The season may look beautiful from the outside, but the air always has a more complicated story to share.