AUSTIN, Texas -- In between their sneezes, allergy sufferers will tell you this cedar pollen season has been rather unbearable. After more than a week of daily near record-high mountain cedar pollen counts, many are just trying to get used to the day-to-day misery.
- Cedar pollen ramping up to begin 2020
- Symptoms include itchy eyes, itchy throat and runny nose
- Steroids may work when other methods fail
Michael Tyler Pelham said he never wears his glasses, but his eyes have been too itchy to put his contacts on instead.
RELATED: Tips For Surviving Cedar Fever Season
Pelham, partner at North Austin car dealership Luxury Auto Works, spends much of his day constantly going between being inside and outside, being exposed to the copious amounts of pollen in the air. The Austin native said it’s not his first rodeo with “cedar fever,” but this cedar pollen season has certainly been a difficult one to deal with.
“I feel clouded,” said Pelham. “I can definitely see a difference in my daily life.”
He’s tried a lot of the tips fellow allergy sufferers share in an attempt to mitigate the pollen in their lives - making sure the cabin air filters in his car and air filter for the HVAC system at home are clean, and even making sure the dog is wiped down after taking a walk outdoors.
Despite all the attempts, Pelham said late last week he eventually broke down and went to get a steroid shot to get him back to being work ready.
“I basically was homebound a few days ago because I just couldn’t even handle - between the drainage, runny nose,” said Pelham. “When I’m in a customer-facing environment all day, I can’t - you don’t want to be gross to other people I’m around.”
Pelham’s advice to others feeling miserable right now: clean your house and clean it often. The pollen builds up on everything and even though the cleaning might turn up some of the dust, Pelham claims it’s worth it in the end. Other than that, he says you simply have to get used to it.