Allergy Mania

My allergies are killing me. My eyes are constantly itching and my nose running. As bad as my allergies are, this isn't even a particularly bad year for allergies. I remember previous years being much worse. Last year, I would sneeze 4 or 5 times walking from my car to the entrance of my office building, which is only like 50 yards. Last year, I was hooked on Claritin for a month straight.
It just happens that Austin is one of the worst places for allergies in the US. In 2004, it ranked #1 as the fall allergy capital according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. I don't think it ranked as high in 2005.
There's actually a name for the winter allergies here, which is 'cedar fever'. Many people aren't allergic to cedar when they move down here, but seem to develop an allergy after several years. I believe my allergies to cedar started in the 2003 season. Cedar trees release pollen in the winter, with it peaking in January. Sometimes, you can see even dust clouds of pollen in the air around the cedar trees.