Allergies Are Hitting East Texas Hard

Everyone seems to say it.  "I never had allergies until I moved to Texas."  We've got 'em now!  And with the pollen falling today in East Texas, your office might be a big sneezefest.

When it comes time to fill out one of those forms at the doctor's office that asks if I'm allergic to anything, I always hesitate to write anything down because I'm not allergic to any of the big things, like peanuts, eggs, or penicillin and there's nothing to get too worried about.  I'm just allergic to Texas!  Whatever is in the air in March and April makes me sneeze, and seasonal allergy sufferers are having a little worse time of it this time around.

Most of us probably never think about why it's happening.  We just know a runny nose when it hits us.  But a lot of things can make allergies worse, like rain, and East Texas has had its share so far this year.  Every spring the pollen starts falling, and doctors tell KTRE that they think the allergy season this year is a little bit worse than usual.

Over-the-counter products like Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra can work well to help relieve symptoms to help dry up a runny nose, according to doctors.  Flonase works well at our house, especially on stuffy noses, and it seems to keep our heads clear most of the day.  We hear that moving to Utah might also help, but we'd rather stay here.

Oak, Ash, Pecan, and Grass allergens are thickest right now in Texas, along with mold spores and dust mites which never really go away.  After some of the pollens taper off in May, we might have a little break from the allergies until Ragweed kicks up in July.  In other words, the sniffles seem to be a year-round deal.

None of this will stop us from getting out to a 5k or a festival this spring in East Texas, but we might be packing the Kleenex and Flonase in the cooler with the bananas and Gatorade.  Thanks a lot, Ash, thanks a lot.