A friend relocated from Portland, Oregon to the Edwards Plateau region of Texas (Austin), and believes that Cedar Fever will be the death of her. Since I suffer from the same debilitating allergies, we often complain, sympathize and discuss remedies.
THE CAUSE: Ashe juniper, also known as mountain cedar or post cedar or Mexican juniper or Texas juniper or the more colloquial &*^%#@ing #@$%^&*. During winter, when these abundant evergreens release the pollen in noxious clouds of microspores, they become the bane of allergy sufferers. These evil plants also suck up precious water and offer poor forage for livestock. But they also prevent soil erosion and provide good habitat for wildlife, including the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and the never-endangered white-tailed deer. Ash juniper has been a part of the Texas landscape for thousands of years. And despite cries for the tree’s total eradication by pitchfork-and-torch and Kleenex wielding mobs, it’s here to stay.
THE REMEDIES: We can’t cure it, but we can become temporarily less miserable. Options include cocktails of over-the-counter and prescription-strength antihistamines, decongestants, corticosteroids, and anti-inflammatory drugs. There are also nasal irrigation techniques, submersion in mud, staying indoors, moving to Siberia and “the bottle.” If Ashe juniper is your only allergy, you only have to survive December, January and half of February.
Because I’m also allergic to all grasses, shrubs and trees (excepting the Banyan), I have no time off. In addition to corticosteroid injections in September, I swallow a Zyrtec tablet every night and use Nasonex nasal spray.
With a little experimentation and the help of a good allergy specialist, you can find relief and survival – at least until the Texans Against Cedar can get legislation passed that will eliminate this enemy.
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