LONGVIEW, Texas — You may have been feeling the sniffles or even getting big puffy eyes these last few weeks.
Cedar pollen is in the air and it’s causing many East Texans to get cedar fever.
"It’s been…I’ve just been feeling off and it’s just been pretty bad," said Angela Reilly, who suffers from cedar fever. "It hits me hard. I feel like I have the flu. I’m in bed. Sinus, coughing all of that it’s horrible."
Reilly is one of many people in East Texas that suffer through all the symptoms of cedar fever. On Sunday, she braved Mother Nature to take her kids out to play in the park.
"Most people with cedar fever will have nasal symptoms along with ocular symptoms," said allergist Dr. Jack Harris.
"It’s basically all in the head. Headaches, sinus…," Reilly said.
"... Sneezing, runny nose, nose congestion itching of the nose they may get itching of the palate or the throat along with that itching of the ears, indefinitely itching, watering and redness of the eyes," Harris said.
It’s a long list of symptoms for an allergy that blooms in the winter months.
"Cedar steers usually starts pollinating in mid to late December and it'll usually continue until mid February," Harris said.
Though cedar fever isn’t as bad here in East Texas as it is in Hill Country (Central Texas), Dr. Harris says it’s still leaving many sniffles around East Texas.
"People definitely have can have flares even in East Texas," Harris said.
And just like Reilly, many people are just trying to get through it.
"Just got to get through with it. Especially with the kids. Take some Mucinex and get on about my day," Reilly said.
Harris said that cedar fever is not contagious and that they are just allergies. There are also many over the counter medications you can take to relive pressures.