It’s not just your nose that suffers when pollen fills the air.
A new study suggests having seasonal allergies may increase your risk of suicide, with researchers finding these deaths tend to spike on certain days in particular.
And that’s no small matter: an estimated 81 million Americans — or about one in four adults and one in five children — battle seasonal allergies every year, according to the CDC.
To dig deeper, Wayne State University researchers analyzed more than a decade’s worth of daily pollen counts and suicide data from 34 US metro areas, spanning from 2006 to 2018.
What they found was clear: as pollen levels climb, so do the number of suicides.
Compared to days with little or no pollen, suicide deaths rose by 5.5% on moderate pollen days.
“At the highest pollen levels, we observed up to a 7.4% increase in suicides,” Shooshan Danagoulian, lead author of the study, said in a press release.
“What’s particularly concerning is that individuals with a known mental health condition or treatment history had an even greater increase — 8.6% — on high-pollen days,” she added.
The study comes amid a troubling trend: suicide rates in the US climbed 37% between 2007 and 2018, highlighting a deepening mental health crisis.
In 2023 alone, there were more than 1.5 million suicide attempts, with over 49,000 Americans taking their own lives — making suicide the 11th leading cause of death nationwide.
While symptoms such as itchy eyes, runny noses and coughing fits may seem minor, the researchers note that seasonal allergies can wreck sleep, cloud concentration and drag down mood. All of these are known risk factors for suicide.
In fact, past research shows that seasonal allergy sufferers are more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
To back up their findings, Danagoulian and her colleagues also turned to Google Trends, where they observed spikes in searches for allergy symptoms and depressive thoughts on high-pollen days.
This evidence supports the idea that allergies don’t just affect the body but can also push people who are already struggling with their mental health over the edge.
That’s notable, because few mental health risk factors are easily treatable. Seasonal allergies, however, can often be managed with safe, inexpensive and widely available options such as antihistamines, nasal sprays and allergy testing.
“Small, accessible health interventions could have lifesaving impacts,” Danagoulian said. “If managing allergies helps reduce suicide risk even slightly, it represents a meaningful step in addressing one of the most pressing public health crises of our time.”
The findings provide clear guidance for healthcare providers and families and arrive at a critical time, as a changing climate is expected to make the link between suicide risk and seasonal allergies even more urgent.
In recent years, rising temperatures have extended the pollen season and increased pollen levels, with projections showing these trends will continue.
“That means more people will experience stronger allergy symptoms, with ripple effects not only for physical health but also for sleep, mood and mental well-being,” Danagoulian wrote in The Conversation.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to study the link between pollen and mental health in rural areas — where access to mental health care and pharmacies is often limited.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
Read the full article here
