How to Survive Cedar Fever
Texas Hill Country dwellers, the dreaded Cedar Fever season is coming early and strong this year, and there’s only one thing to do: make like a boy scout and Be Prepared.
What is Cedar Fever?
Cedar fever is a seasonal allergy – a reaction to pollen from mountain cedar trees, aka cedar juniper, aka juniper redberries. They’re the most allergenic trees growing in Central Texas (and other south-central states), and they’re everywhere. The pollen is triggered to release usually December – February, and it’s often so thick you can see puffy clouds of it in the air. The amount of pollen they release is related to the severity of your symptoms.
Mountain cedar releasing pollen FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/23959586
The wind carries the small, light pollen granules hundreds of miles, where they make their way right to your nostrils, skin, hair, clothing, car, pets, etc.
If it’s a dry winter, you can expect the slightest wind to stir up the pollen and keep your allergies active. Rain helps wash the pollen away, so practice your rain dances!
Will I really get a fever?
The short answer is no, although the inflammation triggered by the allergic reaction may slightly raise your temperature. Common cedar fever allergy symptoms are: runny nose, sneezing, itchy & watery eyes, stuffed nose and congestion. Other complaints include headache, fatigue, sore throat, face tenderness or discomfort, and ears feeling stopped up.
What can I do for cedar fever?
Many natural remedies and common-sense practices can make a huge difference in symptom relief. We swear by:
Gut health
• The health of your gut is crucial to fighting allergies. Avoid sugar and processed foods. Dairy, wheat, or anything else you may not digest well should be very limited or avoided. If you’re mildly allergic to a food, eliminate it entirely to help keep your immune system calm.
• Oregano oil capsules and a daily probiotic are popular, effective favorites for gut/immune system health, and have gotten us through many a cedar fever / flu season.
• Eat your veggies and fruits for all the wonderful vitamins and minerals they provide. Not only are winter fruits bursting with flavor, they’re packed with vitamin C.
Smart natural strategies
• You’ll want a blue jar of our Herbal Decongestant Salve / Vapor Rub around at all times – it’s a life-saver. Use it as many times a day as needed to relieve sinus pressure, congestion, headache, even cough. Apply some before bed to help you breathe while you sleep. A little goes a long way! Another idea: dab a little around your nostrils before going outside. It will help catch the pollen before you inhale it. (Same with lip balm around the lips. Merrit taught us that one. So clever!)
• Rinse sinuses gently with a neti pot after you’ve been outside, to help remove pollen. Here are the Mayo Clinic’s instructions on properly, safely using neti pots. Important: do not use plain tap water. Follow instructions.
• Use high-quality CBD oil daily to keep your overall immune system running efficiently. Our favorite is here.
• Acupuncture to keep your immune system in balance is a great idea, too. Local Austinites get to enjoy the services of acupuncturist and wellness advisor Charlotte Sobeck. She will help you! https://seasonshealth.com/tag/cedar-pollen/ Your city is sure to have an amazing acupuncturist, too. :-)
Other tried and true favorite remedies
• We’re fans of plain old saline nasal spray, to keep the mucous membranes moist. For that matter, staying hydrated is always a big deal for your health. Drink some water. Repeat.
• Warm salt water gargles are SO effective for sore throat and cough! You may cough almost zero overnight if you’ll take a minute to do this before bed.
• Lemon & ginger with honey is a yummy cup of sore throat goodness, too (plus it’s just plain cheerful when you feel crummy). A wonderfully simple recipe that keeps well in the fridge can be found with a Google search.
Be practical
• Don’t wear your outside clothes inside the house. Remove them and take a shower as soon as you can after coming in to remove pollen.
• Dust your home regularly with a damp cloth. Vacuum carpets.
• Take off shoes at the front door so pollen doesn’t get tracked in (a good practice year round).
• Turn on your heating/cooling unit to filter pollen from the air. Change the filters regularly.
• In your vehicle is something called a “cabin filter” that helps you breathe cleaner air inside, and that needs changing periodically. Ask your technician.
Don’t forget the pets
• Wipe the fur of your animals with a damp cloth before they come inside, as they’ll carry pollen. Bathe them regularly. Woof!
Beaux chillin’ at the beach
It’s okay to need more help
Legend says that you can live in Austin for 10-20+ years before you ever develop a cedar fever sniffle. That’s awesome, but some folks suffer with other allergies, too, and for them cedar is the final straw. If you’re miserable, go to a doctor you trust for western medicine if the above remedies just don’t bring enough relief. Quality of life is everything. You’re still gonna want the herbal decongestant salve, though. :-)
Happy breathing!