A Handle on your Health
It’s that time of year again. If you are experiencing sudden sneezing, itchy watery eyes and congestion you may be experiencing cedar fever. I can sympathize because I have definitely had my personal battles with cedar fever. The Hill Country is apparently the cedar fever capitol of the world.
First thing about cedar fever is that it is not caused by cedar trees. It is actually caused by juniper trees or bushes. Here in Texas many varieties of juniper go by the name cedar. In this case, we are really talking about the Mountain Cedars, which are mainly responsible for our suffering of cedar fever. There is also not a fever associated with cedar fever, however you can have a low-grade temp with it. It appears each winter usually between mid-December and mid-February. This is when it pollinates. The pollen is released, especially when dry winds kick up. It can be so thick that it looks like smoke from a nearby fire. The pollen from the juniper trees is considered more allergy-inducing than other pollens; this comes from its protective coat.
Hays County isn’t the only place where cedar fever exists, but the Hill Country Is where the greatest concentration of mountain cedars exist. Our friends to the north in Oklahoma, west in New Mexico, east in Arkansas and to the south in Mexico all suffer too. Patricia Sharpe of Texas Monthly wrote in 1998, “But cedar fever is not just any allergy. It’s a scourge, a plague that smites the just and unjust who have the misfortune to live anywhere in a broad strip of Central Texas that stretches from the Red River to the Rio Grande.”
Cedar fever can be mistaken sometimes for a cold or the flu. It causes burning, itchy, watery eyes. The nose runs with clear drainage. The ears can itch. Sneezing can be incessant. Like many of you, I love a good sneeze from time to time; it just feels good. But in this case it can leave you hoarse and sore in the throat from so much sneezing. It can also cause a cough from al the nasal drainage and sometimes a low-grade temp.
The mountain cedars are as much a part of Texas as the armadillo so they aren’t going away, as much as some people would like to see them all cut down. They are ecologically important to our state. But they do cause many of us to suffer each winter about this time. So what can be done to help? The reaction to the mountain cedar by our immune system is one of an allergic nature. Our immune system is over-reacting to surface proteins on the juniper’s pollen. So the treatment is much the same as in any allergy. We usually start with antihistamines like Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra. Allegra and Claritin are less sedating than Zyrtec but they all are less sedating than Benadryl. Next is nasal steroids. All the nasal steroids have the same effectiveness despite their advertisements. Examples are Flonase, Rhinocort and Nasaocort. If that doesn’t work, then you could ask your doctor about steroids. You can either do oral steroids for a few days or the old taper for two weeks or you could just get an injection at the office. Lastly if you’re still suffering you could get allergy tested and go on weekly allergy shots. They also have sublingual allergy treatments if you don’t like the allergy shots. What doesn’t work is local honey. Local honey treats allergies to flower allergens as bees pollinate flowers, but not juniper trees. There are some natural or herbal remedies on the market, but I’ll let you be the judge of their effectiveness.
This year has been the worst cedar fever year in over 20 years. The pollen counts are off the charts. If you suffer from this ailment besides the pharmacological treatments there are some things you can do to prevent it. You can install a good HEPA filter to your AC system. You can change your clothes when you get home and take a shower before bedtime to wash as much pollen off you as you can. You can wear a mask if you have to be outside. Lastly you could just not go outside between December and February.
As always feel better soon.
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Dr. John Turner is a family medicine and emergency medicine doctor with 25 years of experience. He is also the owner of My Primary Care Clinic and My Emergency Room 24/7 here in Hays County. Dr. Turner may be reached at 512-667-6087.
