by Diane Perez

Created on: October 29, 2009

Cedar fever is not really a fever. It is an allergy to a species of juniper tree which grows in central Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Although the proper name of the tree is juniperis ashei, Texans refer to the tree as Mountain Cedar. This is the only type of tree which causes cedar fever. The Mountain Cedar is an evergreen tree which grows to approximately 30 feet in height. It is considered to be a pest in central Texas as it overtakes other plants and destroys agricultural land.

Junipers have male and female trees. It is the male mountain cedar which releases the pollen and causes the allergic reactions. At the end of each branch, the male Mountain Cedar produces numerous small cones that are reddish-brown in color. The cones are covered with pollen. The trees produce so much pollen that the wind carries it from the trees in large swirls. There can be up to 5,000 pollen in a one meter area. Physically shaking just one branch of the tree will literally cover the person in pollen. The pollen count peaks in December and January and gradually subsides in February. Those with an allergy to the mountain cedar pollen suffer the most during these months. The tree actually pollinates for six months of the year from November through April.

When people with an allergy to the pollen breathe it into their lungs, they can suffer a variety of symptoms. The usual symptoms of cedar fever include sneezing, watery eyes, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and itchy ears. Some also will have a seemingly constant sore throat and occasional dizziness. People with asthma may start wheezing. People with a more intense allergy to cedar fever may also experience chronic fatigue and a partial loss of smell.

One of the ways to alleviate the symptoms of cedar fever is to change clothes as soon as one returns home. This will help to prevent the pollen from being distributed on the furniture and in the bedroom. The affected person should wash his or her hair every night as hundreds of pollen could be trapped in human hair. Also, it is beneficial to the allergy sufferer if everyone in the household follows the same procedure since they will also have pollen on their clothing and hair. Shoes should be left at the door and slippers or socks worn inside the house. Many individuals seek professional medical attention.

The Mountain Cedar tree does not seem to have any redeeming qualities. It destroys farmland, does not produce good firewood, is too weak for furniture and construction nor does it provide nourishment for wildlife.

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