OK.....Can we talk about the poisonous air here..?

[creepy]

Originally Posted by orngkat

I've lived here thirty years and don't have any allergies I am aware of so it's possible to not be affected by them at all. Speaking of poisonous air though, I am mostly concerned with the proliferation of cars with the recent population influx. That type of air pollution has really increased. Also, get ready for the agricultural smoke that comes from Central America every year in April-May. Lots of hazy sunless days.

Oh yes the smoke from Central America. Always fun-NOT!

Some years it is quite bad with the stench of smoke trapped here for many days. I cannot recall it being too bad the past couple but remember some years where it seemed quite amazing the smoke could be so consistently overhead and stinky for so many days on end. I meant to look into it and the cause. I have also hear it called agricultural fires but often wonder if it is really some annual protest in central america over mistreatment?

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by creepy

Oh yes the smoke from Central America. Always fun-NOT!

Some years it is quite bad with the stench of smoke trapped here for many days. I cannot recall it being too bad the past couple but remember some years where it seemed quite amazing the smoke could be so consistently overhead and stinky for so many days on end. I meant to look into it and the cause. I have also hear it called agricultural fires but often wonder if it is really some annual protest in central america over mistreatment?

No. Not a protest. It is slash-and-burn agriculture. Rainforest soil is very poor, the only way to get nutrients into the soil to grow crops is to slash down the trees and burn them. The fields only yield for a few years, so then you have to push into forested areas and repeat the process. And again, and again. It is a subsistence farming technique and not sustainable.

Slash and Burn Agriculture | EcoLogic Development Fund

[philopower]

For me, I feel great from May till October. Then it goes downhill from there. One of the main reasons I don't see myself in austin permanently

[tstwahine]

I'm a little late to this post and haven't had the time to read through every page but we had a weird experience upon moving here.... so here goes:

What you may be experiencing might not necessarily be allergies. It cannot be ruled out obviously because you haven't had allergy tests done. Both myself and my significant other are great examples of this.

We moved to Austin a few years ago (for work - so we didnt really have the option of saying "oh hey this is a super cool place to live!" etc etc. You go where the job takes you. Thats life). Well, we moved from the midwest where my s/o had zero allergies. I am one of those people that is horribly allergic to dust (And kitty cats) but other than that never had a problem (I always felt better when i went outside).

Well - enter our arrival in Austin. I arrived a few months later due to the sale of our house but by the time i arrived my s/o was absolutely miserable - he was having sleeping problems, felt groggy and generally just felt terrible (he is a very healthy guy - never had any allergies). So naturally he went to see an allergist - he was not allergic to a single thing. So they then said, well, maybe you have a problem with the pollution in austin? He continued to suffer for months before then seeing another allergist who referred him to a ENT (ear/nose/throat) doctor. He was diagnosed with Vaso-motor rhinitis. We had noticed that his symptoms would be particularly bad before a weather change... he could always "sense" rain coming. I started to get it too, but I was spending a lot of time outside of Austin (and the hill country) so I was not nearly as affected as he was.

I went to my allergist finally to try and see what I might be allergic to, I expected the worst - except she said other than dust and cats I was a star player with no response to local allergens. She said I had some of the most swollen turbonates she'd ever seen and was amazed I didnt snore while I slept because I was not getting enough oxygen. She then diagnosed me with vaso-motor rhinitis as well. Turns out that this condition is common here because the hill country creates such a unique barometric environment. The constant weather changes and pressure changes have the body constantly fighting to achieve equilibrium. Quite interesting actually - she put me on a nasal spray (I have always hated them) but for the first time in two years I slept all the way through the night and its been great since! So, if you have never had allergies before you may want to consider Vaso motor rhinitis.

[ITO]

Austin is big enough as it is, if it were not for Cedar Fever we would be overrun by Californians. If anything our pollen and mold are a self defense mechanism, that I feel grateful to have in place.

Sitting a hillside in the evening sunset watching the great plumes of purple pollen rise up of the cedar trees is very relaxing and makes me happy.

Here is a remedy for you...MOVE. Nothing else really works, the local honey, the herbs, drugs, allergy medicines...nope you have to move.

I hear Detroit is nice and you can buy a house there for $1.

[unihills]

Originally Posted by ITO

Austin is big enough as it is, if it were not for Cedar Fever we would be overrun by Californians. If anything our pollen and mold are a self defense mechanism, that I feel grateful to have in place.

Sitting a hillside in the evening sunset watching the great plumes of purple pollen rise up of the cedar trees is very relaxing and makes me happy.

Here is a remedy for you...MOVE. Nothing else really works, the local honey, the herbs, drugs, allergy medicines...nope you have to move.

I hear Detroit is nice and you can buy a house there for $1.

The pedant inside me requires that I point out cedar pollen is yellow, though the alliteration was a nice touch.

I suspect your viewing experience may be enhanced by herbal supplements.

[ITO]

The times I have seen it coming off the cedar trees in the dusk, it looks purple. Maybe that is the orange sky behind it at dusk that makes it look purple, I don't know but if you have ever seen it like that it is not something you would forget.

[TexasHorseLady]

I've seen great RED clouds of cedar pollen many times over the decades here.

[post_id]

Austin is moldy, the air is essentially fungus. And this too:

Survey Finds Austin May Not Be The 'Live Music Capital' Anymore

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by post_id

And this too:

Survey Finds Austin May Not Be The 'Live Music Capital' Anymore

Which has what to do with air? Or do you just want to bash Austin, Mr First Time Poster?