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Pollen: Texas ongoing thread


miguelito

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Cedar allergy sufferers are experiencing the Austin area’s second-highest cedar pollen levels in our KXAN record books Monday after dry weather and gusty winds over the weekend.

1. 32,000 grains/m3 in mid-1990s

2. 31,587 grains/m3 today, Jan. 4, 2021

3. 30,961 grains/m3 on Jan. 10, 2006

Cedar pollen levels typically peak in January and decline through February or early March. Cedar allergies are typically worst during windy, dry weather and are kept in check by rainfall.

 

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I think the source for this count uses a different unit than that Austin one, but whether it's grains/m^3, or furlongs per hectare, this sucks. 

Looking at my data for the last 4 years, this week is about the average peak time.  There could be another week of numbers this high before it tapers down, depending on cold fronts, rain, and how much you touch yourself.  Our overall total for the year is still pretty well behind previous year's totals, so keep your masks on for a bit longer.

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I succumbed to the siren song of beautiful weather and sat outside for lunch on Monday. I've done a lot of dumb stuff in my life but that was up there. Yesterday was brutal, too. Here's hoping we get a brief respite today with the rain and that molds don't get too crazy while cedar is down.

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I’ve been here my entire life and I still can’t figure out the six-week cycle of Cedar.   Cold wind coming from the north, terribad.  A warm, humid wind coming from the south, equally as bad.  

Rain seems to help but then again our Top Five highest count ever was just a couple days after record rainfall in Central Austin.  

It would be great if there was a way to actually forecast these things and have an idea on whether or not the following day is okay for drinking beer and grilling on the patio for a few mins or if it’s going to be another total lockdown day.  

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Yeah, I wasn't doing too bad this week...the wife and girls were.  And then yesterday's winds and the second I walk into the HVAC part of the house...holy shit this morning.  It's like the little dwarf from "Cat's Eye" crawled in my skull and is just kicking the walls with his little dwarf feet and spreading around expired cheeto dust.  Little asshole.  

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I'm new to dealing with cedar pollen and have learned a couple of things:

 

1) Do not touch your eyes.  I made that mistake at the end of December.  Learned from that.

2) Don't throw rocks at male cedar trees during cedar season with the kids.  The puffs are cool to see but probably best avoided

3) Don't go outside when the pollen is at 31,000 and use a leaf blower to clean up and rake leaves.  That night sucked!  Earlier in the day I walked part of the Violet Crown trail and felt fine until later in the day when the leaf blower came out.  Was like standing in front of a box fan with three Covid patients coughing in front of the fan.

 

Since then I've figure out if I do #1 I'm fine.  Don't rake on high count days and, if I'm going to work out outside, put on a mask.  Played soccer with my son yesterday while wearing a mask and it was all good.  Since then, all mostly kosher and haven't needed any allergy medicine.

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i'd convinced myself last night when i was taking my second benadryl in 3 hours that i had covid and then i had a long nightmare about it all night. woke up this morning and the first thing i did was take another one 🙄

PSA: no, sneezing is not a covid symptom 

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My regimen that seems to keep worst symptoms in check:

  1. Xyzal before bed - helps me actually sleep through the night instead of waking up around 3 a.m coughing and sneezing.
  2. 2x of children's Claritin (Costco store brand) before work in the morning. I learned this trick from my allergist - after I got my rapid skin allergy test several years ago they gave me "liquid Claritin" because it worked faster. I asked whether you can buy it in the store. He said yep - it's just children's Claritin that you take a double dose of. 

I don't always remember the Xyzal before bed, and on those nights I do wake up around 3 a.m. and the liquid Claritin does its work very quickly. 

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Careful with that Sudafed as you get older. It can make it hard to pee. I had that happen to me a few years ago and it scared the hell out of me. I thought maybe I had bladder cancer or some other issue because I just couldn’t pee. I had to pee but I couldn’t squeeze a drop for a while. My doctor figured it out for me and it’s been no issue since. If I get congestion, I take the other stuff instead of Sudafed.

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27 minutes ago, Hate said:

Careful with that Sudafed as you get older. It can make it hard to pee. I had that happen to me a few years ago and it scared the hell out of me. I thought maybe I had bladder cancer or some other issue because I just couldn’t pee. I had to pee but I couldn’t squeeze a drop for a while. My doctor figured it out for me and it’s been no issue since. If I get congestion, I take the other stuff instead of Sudafed.

good to know. what’s the other stuff?

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Been on a steady regimen of Flonase and Allegra, 2x daily. Seems to keep the worst at bay. If I forget either though, watch out. Thank goodness the winds are howling out the north today, keeping that hill country shit down south.

Edit: I can’t take any of the stuff that makes you drowsy or dulls the senses, like Benadryl or Xyzal.

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i had to verify covid doesn't cause sneezing and watery eyes b/c that's all the symptoms i have but it's like a gotdamn waterworks!

i'm on a steady regimen of Benadryl that feels like it's just barely holding it at bay, thank god the sedative effects don't really get me. haven't put my contacts in in 3 days b/c my eyes won't stop flooding...

this is literally the first year i have ever experienced this! i assume it's cedar...been in Austin over 30 years and bragged every year how everybody else turns into a giant snot head. ugh. 

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I've found that a steady diet of Claritin D and Flonase, starting mid December and lasting till March, gets the job done.  When the sinuses start to hurt I throw a Mucinex Sinus Max in the mix. Allergy eye drops for the itch there, and I can at least get necessary work accomplished.  I can't sleep for shit thanks to the meth pseudoephedrine in Claritin D, but otherwise muddle through.

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No, today's count is worse.  The first 2 numbers are 13.  I won't tell you what the last 3 numbers are, but you can do the math.

Rough 'forecasts' can be made based on amount of sun, winds, lack of rain, and whatever plans you have for the day.  Today and tomorrow should be bad.  Wear a mask.

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