Cedar fever or COVID-19? Allergists warn cedar fever is in full force
AUSTIN, Texas - Alongside the pandemic, Cedar fever is here in full force. Allergy specialists are calling for a severe season.
"It’s hard to breathe through my nose and so I have to be a mouth breather most of the time and I don’t like that," said Daniel Tuttle who suffers from allergies.
Tuttle said this year even the allergy medication isn’t working for him. "I like to run a lot and with covid and everything you can still come to do outdoor activities but with allergies I can’t even enjoy that," said Tuttle.
Allergy specialists like Dr. Allen Lieberman are already warning of an intense start of the year for allergy sufferers. "It’s already started to be a very severe season this is actually very early in the year to start seeing significant numbers," said Dr, Lieberman.
In the age of the pandemic, Tuttle said allergy symptoms can be somewhat taboo. "Yeah you’re always afraid, you’re gonna get some weird looks. You feel like you have to apologize ahead of time like I promise it’s not Covid," said Tuttle.
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To help get you through Cedar fever, Dr. Lieberman said to try and spend most of your time inside, if you do go outside the mask everyone’s been wearing during the pandemic should help but also look into eye protection.
There’s also plenty over the counter medication.
If none of this seems to help he recommends seeing a specialist. "That’s usually when people need to start thinking about a long-term treatment with immunotherapy, allergy shots, allergy drops and that’s a good treatment that can make you less allergic to these things it a good longer treatment not short term," said Dr. Lieberman.
Cedar fever typically ends at the end of January, early February.