Scott Stafford reports for The Berkshire Eagle that local allergy expert Dr. Jasdeep S. Badwal says that, "This spring has been particularly bad" for allergies. The specialist at Berkshire Allergy Care on South Street in Pittsfield said, “And climate change is not helping. We are in the thick of it.” The forecast of pollen counts from Pollen.com predicts that to remain the case this week. Kari Nadeau, professor of Climate and Population Studies and chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says that pollen seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer. With more carbon dioxide in the air, plants release more pollen. Over-the-counter allergy medicines just mask symptoms, and only a series of shots can actually help those suffering. “These allergy symptoms can have a heavy impact on someone’s quality of life,” Badwal said. “But a lot of people don’t know that shots are available.” Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.