‘Nobody Warned Me’: Man Moves To Austin. Then He Realizes It’s Cedar Fever Season

"Look. I wanna be the person to warn y'all because nobody warned me," Harry (@theregoesharry) says with the weary urgency of someone who's learned a terrible lesson. "If you are moving to Austin, you need to know that this cedar fever [stuff] is real. It's real."

In a short TikTok clip, Harry is providing the kind of annual public service announcement that ends up on TikTok and Reddit every single winter. It’s almost always recent Austin transplants who’ve found out that during their first December in Central Texas, it becomes pollen hell. The city's usually good winter weather comes with a brutal catch: An allergy season so chopped, it has its own name and peak season.

Cedar fever has a reputation for putting even the healthiest people, like Harry here, down for the count.

What Is Cedar Fever?

For people with cedar allergies or who are looking to pick one up, Austin has it all for you. Every winter, the city’s cedar trees drop blankets of pollen, creating stuffy noses, red, watery eyes, and coughing fits.

This attack lasts from roughly the third week of December through January.

Per a KUT.org report: "If you're new to Austin and aren't experiencing any symptoms, wait a few years: The allergy can develop over time.”

“Cold fronts are marked by very dry and windy conditions with rapid pressure changes which trigger pollen cones to open and release pollen grains,” stated Robert Edmonson, a Texas A&M Forest Service biologist. “In certain conditions, you can even see the pollen blowing off trees.”

Prior allergies and prolonged outdoor exposure are not required, but large amounts of pollen trigger the body's defense response. It can result in fatigue, a slight fever, and trigger asthma or sinus infections. It's because your body is trying to protect you, and your immune system goes haywire.

“You could just be one that runs into H-E-B to go get groceries, runs out," said Kristin Foley, a family nurse practitioner with Greater Austin Allergy. "And that may be enough for your body to say, 'Ugh I don’t like this’ and start to feel bad.'"

It’s bad enough that researchers from around the globe are trying to understand more about allergenic proteins and their structures.

Cedar Fever Solutions

“Cedar fever, at H.E.B. [the famous Texas grocer] you’re welcome BUY IT,” said one commenter. Others in the comments mentioned the product. They aren’t alone: Allergena Texas Cedar Fever Allergy Relief Drops aren’t cheap, but they have been a lifesaver for so many.

One person said, “Local honey. Tablespoon a day.” It sounds great, but it doesn't work. Bees collect pollen from flowers, which are insect-pollinated. Cedar/Ashe juniper is wind-pollinated. So, that expensive local honey contains essentially zero cedar pollen.

Just as a note, what does work are antihistamines like Zyrtec or Claritin, nasal steroids (which usually need a prescription), and saline nasal rinses, which you can find at your local big box grocer or pharmacy.

Patch News reached out to Harry via TikTok direct message and comment, and Texas A&M Forest Service via email.

@theregoesharry