Cedar Fever

In Texas Hill County the native Mountain Cedar is abundant. During its December through February peak pollination, many people suffer with what is referred to as Cedar Fever. The symptoms vary from typical allergic reactions to what feels like a low grade flu. The last two Winters Roy suffered about two weeks with it. I had two weeks of it last Winter, but a solid month of it throughout January of this year! A fellow RVer told me that she has found in her travels that whatever effects her health in an area seems to affect her worse the second year.


Breathing the pollen feels just like it looks coming off this tree. It's as if talcum powder has been thrown into the back of your mouth. Doing some research into Mountain Cedar pollen, I discovered that it is very buoyant, and can travel for miles. An example of a Mountain Cedar pollen count for the area showed it as rising from zero on November 3rd to 300 pollens per cubic meter on December 8th, and to 4,890 pollens per cubic meter on January 2nd! It's makeup is opposite of other pollens, and was once thought to be toxic. Although there are still references to its toxic nature on the Internet, other websites assure that it is only an allergen and not a toxin. One might argue that point based on how bad it makes a person feel! Talking with a local, she stated that her regimen is to start taking prescription Flonase in October to get a build-up in her system before Cedar Fever hits, and then continue the regimen until the end of March! She uses saline spray several times a day, also. I've been told that whatever allergy plan one chooses to use, that it's best to be proactive. I've always been one to treat as the symptoms appear. The word is that it takes seven years to build an immunity to Mountain Cedar! So there you have it, if you plan to spend the Winter in central Texas.