BELL COUNTY, Texas — If you have been suffering from allergies lately, you're not alone and it might last for a while.
Though it hasn't been freezing cold lately, it is the middle of winter which means a lot of cold and flu running around but, it is also a peak time for anyone who suffers from seasonal allergies.
"Typically this time of year, it is Cedar but there may be other trees that are bothering people," said Dr. Amy Mersiovsky, Director of the Department of Nursing at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.
"In addition, it has been pretty cold for a while so people may have had their windows closed and, like I said, dust spores may have really built up."
All of it can cause severe illness.
"Allergies are very real, Allergies can make you very sick and it's not just sneezing," said Dr. Mersiovsky.
"It may be itching, it may be some GI upset, or it can be skin rashes."
Here in Central Texas, it's Cedar Fever taking a toll on allergy sufferers but it's not caused by pollen from the kind of trees you would think.
"Cedar pollen, at least from hear, doesn't come from Cedar trees," said 25 News Meteorologist, Caleb Chevalier.
"It comes from the Ash juniper which, is called mountain cedar sometimes. Hence the name, Cedar pollen."
Cedar, like other pollens, floats in the air and can travel long distances in high wind.
The good news is, Central Texans might see a reprieve as the rain comes Tuesday.
"It's going to be about an inch, or at least a little more than that for a lot of us," said Chevalier.
"That's going to help, of course, dampen some things down. It's going to kind of suppress the pollen. It can't obviously fly around as much with the weight of the water added to it."
If you are suffering from allergies, there is more you can do than simply taking medicine to help ease the suffering.
"Make sure your environment is clean," said Dr. Mersiovsky.
"Try to keep the filters on your heating and air really clean. Take a shower if you have been outside for a while. Change your clothes and try to get some of that Cedar out of your environment."
Stay indoors if you can a see a doctor if symptoms become unbearable.
