Dealing with Cedar Fever

Austin, TX - Austinites ushered in the New Year with fireworks, champagne toasts and cedar fever. January 1 brought not only the highest pollen count of the season, but also the highest single-day count measured here since 2003.

Dr. Paul Ratner said this year's season, which began Christmas Eve, has already produced more than half the amount of cedar pollen seen during the entire season last year, which was mild. Mountain cedar season usually begins mid-December and lasts into February.

Mountain Cedar is the common name for the Ashe juniper trees that grow in thick forests across the Hill Country. The reddish-brown pollen arrive each winter on chilly north winds, usually after the first frost.

Sometimes there is enough pollen to leave a reddish-brown blanket of powder on cars and lawn furniture. Mountain cedar trees generate some of the highest concentrations of pollen of any plant.

Experts recommend that people who are sensitive to mountain cedar pollen remain indoors when possible during the season. To relive symptoms, nasal steroids and antihistamines can help. Those with severe or persistent problems can sometimes benefit from allergy shots.

Dr. Robert D. Cook, an Austin allergist, stopped by Good Day to talk about cedar fever.