It’s that time of year again. The time you love and the time you hate. Just as temperatures become mild enough to spend the majority of your day outside, the trees in the Texas Hill Country decide to make war. Those beautiful branches that so lovingly provide a shady respite during the hot, steamy summer become an outdoor lover’s nightmare. That is if you are allergic to cedar pollen, otherwise known as cedar fever. With this year’s abundant rainfall and mild temperatures, Texans of the Hill Country should prepare for one of the worst cedar season’s in recent memory.
How do you know if you are sensitive to cedar pollen? You’ll feel like you have a cold or the flu. Although fever and muscle aches don’t usually affect sufferers, those afflicted can expect itchy eyes, ears, and skin. Your nose stops running only long enough to power up for another sneeze and a nagging cough won’t let up. Some folks live in Central Texas for years and never have a problem, while others may steer clear of the systems for years only to have them suddenly take hold. Still, others suffer every year.
This YouTube video from Discovery News captures just how much pollen is released by just one male cedar tree in its effort to pollinate a female tree. The pollen can travel for miles.
