Are Spring Allergies Worse This Season? Tulsa Rated 6th Worst Place For People With Seasonal Allergies

You may have noticed that winter is getting warmer and spring is lasting longer.

It sounds great unless you're one of the many adults with seasonal allergies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says roughly 25% of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. To make matters worse, new studies suggest pollen season is getting longer and more intense.

One recent study found the average allergy season is now 20 days longer than it was back in 1970. Fortunately for the city of Tulsa, the pollen season is 17 days shorter than it was 54 years ago but head over to Oklahoma City and the pollen season is four days longer.

While the season may be shorter in Tulsa the Asthma and Allergy Foundation lists the city as the 6th worst place for seasonal allergy sufferers.

"We're really paying the price of these milder winters because things are germinating earlier. There's higher pollen counts, climate change, more carbon emissions, means there's a boost in trees, grasses and plant growth," she explained. "What it means for us is more sneezing, runny noses, cough, sore throat, fatigue -- but, I want to make the point, no fever," said Dr. Nidhi Kumar from On Call for CBS New York.

Studies also suggest a possible link between mood disorders and allergies.

"Patients that suffer from severe allergies have a one-and-a-half-time greater risk of having depressive symptoms and anxiety. Well, why?" Dr. Kumar said. "Allergies just make you feel crummy, you have difficulties with sleep. You have a reduced sense of smell, and that actually affects your mood. People even report having brain fog."

Research suggests that several factors may be combined to make the allergy season worse.

"It seems to be a combination of everything, but that said, it really seems like the heat is one of the biggest drivers." Prof. William Anderegg, from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah.

Doctors say if you suffer from allergies, you need to stay on top of your symptoms with medication, make sure that you're limiting your exposure on high pollen days, and unfortunately, we're all going to have to start thinking about protecting ourselves much earlier and much longer.

-CBS News Dave Malkoff contributed to this story