How Texans can alleviate cedar fever symptoms

AUSTIN (KXAN) — 'Tis the season to be sneezing.

Cedar allergies — or, infamously, "cedar fever" — involve reactions to the pollen of the mountain cedar tree, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. In Texas, the predominant species of mountain cedar is the Ashe juniper, per the Forest Service.

While the season typically runs from December to February, some seasonal cycles begin as early as late fall and run into March.

This year, the dreaded pollen got an early start, with pollen counts emerging in late November. Despite cedar season often experiencing its peak in mid-January, area pharmacists are already seeing customers coming in seeking out relief.

"We've had a lot of patients coming in with just a lot of allergy symptoms — a lot of congestion, runny noses, sneezing. It's kind of like a myriad of things that we're kind of struggling through," said Rannon Ching, president and chief pharmacy officer at Tarrytown Pharmacy.

With cedar fever, Ching said there are a host of over-the-counter and prescribed remedies customers can try. Tarrytown's pharmacists prescribe options on a "tiered approach," varying depending on patients' symptoms.

Those who are sneezing or have a runny nose can try on antihistamine medications, which help dry up that mucus. Others with more sinus pressure and congestion-related symptoms can use a steroid-based nasal spray, which can take a week or two to become fully effective. There are also antihistamine nasal sprays available, as well as a behind-the-counter tablet nasal decongestant patients without blood pressure problems can try out.

"Even if the allergy season caught you off guard and you have those symptoms, really, antihistamines will work really quickly, probably within the first day," Ching said.