Are you sneezing, congested and scratching your eyes due to allergies earlier this year? It’s a little early for springtime allergies but El Nino, known for creating warm, moist winters, may be the culprit in having you saying achoo sooner than expected.

Across the country, the trend has been for allergy seasons to start earlier and last longer. This year is no exception because of El Nino which has produced temperatures well above normal. For allergy sufferers, this means plants grow longer when they normally go dormant and also start busting their buds out earlier.

The continental United States had the warmest September through November on record in 2015, beating the previous record set in 1963, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The average temperature for the three-month period was 56.8 degrees, which was 3.3 degrees above the 20th-Century average. The month of November ranked 13th warmest on record. Precipitation overall also was above normal with November being the fourth wettest on record.

Even Southern California, which had been exceptionally dry, has been experiencing pollen counts higher than what is normal for February. El Nino-related wet weather, coupled with warm weather, gets the blame. Almost everything is already blooming there which will produce a prolonged allergy seasons.

I live in the Northwest and my area is experiencing something similar. Plants that don’t normally bloom in February are already busting out. I have been suffering with allergy-related symptoms for weeks. The bad news is unless the weather turns cold again, this allergy season could be around for a long time.

The El Nino weather effect will impact more than 35 million allergy sufferers nationwide. Once thought of as a minor health problem, we now know that allergies have serious health and financial consequences. Allergies account for 23 million lost workdays, two million lost school days, and result in the consumption of $2.5 billion worth of drugs and treatment in the United States. In addition, allergies often lead to or are linked to other chronic health issues.

All of this means you will be taking your allergy medications longer this year and earlier next year. Is there anything else you can do? Use your Neti Pot; eat a healthy diet; get plenty of rest; exercise when possible; and start writing letters to your Congressmen to let them know how climate is impacting you and millions of others.