Spring allergies remain in full force
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Grab your tissues, allergy pills and nasal spray. Even with cedar fever behind us, spring allergies remain in full force.
By the numbers: AustinPollen.com, which averages pollen counts, shows the nettle count in the high range and grass, oak, mulberry, weeds and other trees in the moderate range.
Catch up quick: Ashe juniper pollen in December and February causes cedar fever — severe flu-like symptoms such as itchiness, watery eyes and blocked nasal passages.
- And allergy experts say that unseasonably warm weather kicked off an early round of spring allergies.
What they're saying: Central Texas deals with an extended allergy season each year because of tree pollen, according to Alison Baylis of Texas A&M's Forest Service.
- "We have that extra cedar fever season that others don't experience," Baylis tells Axios. "It can feel like an extended allergy season."
- Oak tends to be the most prominent allergy in the spring, and different factors like wind, rain and sun can impact the severity each day.
Flashback: This year's early warm weather — and early wildflower blooms — were likely a sign that spring allergies arrived sooner than usual.
- "This is one of the first years that I actually remember seeing bluebonnets in February," Allen Liberman, an allergist with Austin Family Allergy and Asthma, told KVUE. "It's an indicator that spring is coming."
If you're new here: You're no better than the rest of us. It can take months or years to develop a reaction to new allergens after moving to a new place, according to the Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Central Texas.
What's next: Summer will bring relief from those suffering from tree allergies, but grass allergies are just around the corner.