SAN ANTONIO – Are you hoping for a better cedar season this year? So far, there has been some bad days, but not as bad as seasons past. No matter how it ranks, cedar season is never fun.
"There's no such thing as a good allergy season for mountain cedar, as far as patient’s symptoms,” said Dr. Patricia Gomes Dinger with the Advanced Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center.
Itchy, burning, watery eyes and congestion have been reported by many this season. There is something different, however, this go around, according to Dinger.
"This is the first year in over 30 years that we've seen a shift in the pattern of the Mountain Cedar,” Dinger said.
The shift is not how much, but when it arrived. That is especially true, if the frequency of patients is any indication.
"We're starting to see [patients] now, this week, and we'll continue to see them, I’m sure, through the rest of this month,” Dinger said.
Dinger said that, based on current trends, cedar season will get off to a late start.
"We saw a little bit of a shift, by a two-week period of time. So we are speculating that, perhaps, that means that the season will extend for additional two weeks,” Dinger said.
As a result, allergy sufferers may not get a break.
"There’s a potential that patients that are suffering from allergies, that may also have oak allergies, might just get a continuation of their allergy symptoms,” Dinger said.