OK.....Can we talk about the poisonous air here..? (Austin: 2015, how much)

[Aquitaine]

because I often hear 'keep your windows/doors closed' when trying to find solutions for allergies.

Sure, but that's like saying "I'm allergic to bee stings, so keep all the windows closed because a bee might bite me." It doesn't mean "outside is poison," it just means you have to do what you have to do to protect yourself. We open windows all the time in the spring and Fall and we are not unaffected by allergies.

Therefore, one cannot open their windows or go outside if they don't want to be exposed, or let it in the house.

If your case is really so bad that your doctor can do nothing for you and medication does nothing for you and you can't even go outside where you live, then by all means, I wouldn't blame you for leaving! But your 'typical' case is somewhere between mild to heavy nuisance and not "lock the doors and stay inside" bad.

Mold can be bad in one place and not another on any particular day. They're particles. They move with the breeze!

[opalminor]

I've been paying attention, guys... just felt like bringing up the issue again. Sometimes people start new threads on previous issues because they are hoping someone new chimes in.
Obviously if it's brought up a lot, then it's a significant problem here! But if it bugs anyone to read another thread about it, feel free to ignore and move on..

Returntoparadise.. ahh thank you, finally someone who can relate. (not that I'd wish this on you though!) Glad you have found a way out.
And yes one of my main frustrations is this whole deal of every site saying something different. Yeah I've heard 'well it depends on where they take the count'. Seriously...?? Can you not just give us ONE overall piece of data for the whole city? Average them out or whatever? If you took a different sample for different areas, then how big would each separate area have to be?

And, how come when you look at the U.S. map chart, it shows all of Texas as one big red blob (frequently)..? Obviously, they are not breaking the state (or, the city) up into different sections of readings....

So many questions and not enough answers...

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by opalminor

And, how come when you look at the U.S. map chart, it shows all of Texas as one big red blob (frequently)..? Obviously, they are not breaking the state (or, the city) up into different sections of readings....

So many questions and not enough answers...

Because they have done just what you have asked! Those national charts are using an average of many local readings to get a state reading. And yes, it is almost always high for Texas, if it isn't cedar, it is smoke from S. America, or spring trees, or mold, or fall elm, or a dust storm, or mold, or ash, or grasses or mold or . . . here it is cedar season again!

Allergens in Central Texas can cause problems even for those who do not have specific allergies because some of the pollen (not all) is large enough that just the particulate load in the air causes problems.

Allergy shots are the solution for many. They do work and can keep Austin bearable.

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by opalminor

That is, if Austin can stop patting itself on the back and bragging about its music festivals and so on, to talk about the subject that no one wants to talk about.... and that is the pollen and MOLD that makes so many people here feel crappy on a frequent-to-daily basis...!

(If you DON'T want to talk about it, feel free to ignore this thread. )

OK... so WHAT is the deal with the fact that every pollen count website seems to contradict the other one..?? Are any of them accurate at all..?

The U.S. map on a popular pollen website usually shows Texas as a huge dark red spot (high count) in a country full of yellow and green (lower counts). Basically the highest count in the whole country. That's the one that makes sense to me (because it coincides with how I feel that day).
And yet you'll go to another site, and it says today's count 'medium' and another one says 'low'. Or it says 'no reading' or 'N/A'. .....Wtf....?? Hello, this is a pretty important issue here in Austin- that affects the well-being of so many on a daily basis. Why can't they get their facts straight..?? WHY isn't there more accurate information out there..?

I once went to an allergy doc and was told I've have to spend almost $1000 to get tested to 'see what I was allergic to'. Well it's obvious what it is.. (pollen/mold) and, no thanks. So treatment seems out of reach for many of us. And I'm not convinced a daily pill would work anyway.

It would be one thing if there was an allergy 'season' like other places.. but the problem is... the 'allergy season' is ALL YEAR LONG. It never ends....! And it's not just the cedar and other pollen, but the MOLD that is a big one. If the pollen's high, the mold's low, and when the pollen's low, then the mold's high. Or, it's ALL just high.

So on days when they say the pollen is low but you still feel crappy (sinus headache, achy etc.), check the MOLD count, because that's probably why. It took me a long time to figure out what that nasty little devil was that makes me so sick is.. it's invisible, it's stealthy, it's totally unpredictable... apparently it's called ALTERNARIA and it's mold that thrives in DRY areas. Geez.. who knew?? I couldn't figure out why MOLD was such a big deal here.. aren't we in a perpetual drought forever? But yes, apparently Austin is cursed with this Alternaria thing, that thrives on dry vegetation. Why don't they talk about this on the news every day and EDUCATE people about it.. so people don't have to wonder why they feel so sick half the time for no reason...?? They may mention 'cedar fever' but they never seem to mention mold/Alternaria. Every time I try to search for info about it, all the articles are about black mold in homes. Or they say stuff like 'take your shoes off in the house and wash your hair and pillow every day.' Yeah.. right. Sorry but that's no gonna cut it. Somehow, even when you're in your house all day, it gets THROUGH the walls and into your sinuses. I've experienced this. HOW does this happen....? I don't understand.

I guess they don't want to discourage people/businesses from moving here... but the reality is, it truly DOES affect many people's ability to function, to be healthy, work, survive, etc.

It's a shame that the climate is so temperate, but many people can't really enjoy it. The fact is, since there's really no winter here, its never kills off the pollen, mold and other nasties that make people sick.. so there is literally NO BREAK from it. At least where it snows, you know you're going to have a break!
I've lost count of the days where I wanted to open a window to let in some fresh air.. but I can't, because there is rarely any fresh air... because it's full of pollen and mold that I don't want to let in the house. So, that's why I used to think the air was so clean here (less pollution than many other places).. but sadly, I see it differently now.

Anyone else have a similar experience, or just as frustrated as I am, or know of a solution (along with moving elsewhere, obviously).....?

Just looking for an honest discussion (not snarky 'don't let the door hit ya on the way out' and all those usual comments). Thanks!

For the record, you are absolutely right on every point. BUT it's not going to change. Allergies and allergens are truly hellish here. It has absolutely ruined our (my family's) quality of life here and Austin simply isn't worth it, it doesn't have nearly enough going for it to make the air worth it.

But alas, it's old news.

There is a solution. Move. We personally know several families who are set to move out of state or have already ONLY because of the allergies. There are people from Austin on C-D on other boards (not this one) who have or are looking to move bc of allergies.

As the non-marketing of Austin's allergy probably, it is what it is. You think they want to advertise this sh*t? You got high heat for 5 months of the year and mold all year long with pops of even more debilitating allergens (cedar, oak, elm, ragweed) on top of the constant mold with counts that most of the country rarely sees? And you might not be allergic now but you could easily develop an allergy years after you've lived here. Come on down!

Moving is the only solution with a guarantee unlike shots.

Also for the record, oak and mold together right now are like hell on earth.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by opalminor

I've been paying attention, guys... just felt like bringing up the issue again. Sometimes people start new threads on previous issues because they are hoping someone new chimes in.
Obviously if it's brought up a lot, then it's a significant problem here! But if it bugs anyone to read another thread about it, feel free to ignore and move on..

Returntoparadise.. ahh thank you, finally someone who can relate. (not that I'd wish this on you though!) Glad you have found a way out.
And yes one of my main frustrations is this whole deal of every site saying something different. Yeah I've heard 'well it depends on where they take the count'. Seriously...?? Can you not just give us ONE overall piece of data for the whole city? Average them out or whatever? If you took a different sample for different areas, then how big would each separate area have to be?

And, how come when you look at the U.S. map chart, it shows all of Texas as one big red blob (frequently)..? Obviously, they are not breaking the state (or, the city) up into different sections of readings....

So many questions and not enough answers...

Texas is the allergy capital of the world. And if allergies bother you then Austin is the last place you should move.

[hornraider]

OP, for pollen allergy, try honey that is harvested locally. My MIL swears by it (must be from bees that are native)

[TexasHorseLady]

FWIW, I had a doctor tell me some years ago that if you move because of allergies that you already have, you will develop allergies to something in your new environment, usually within 3 years. But if you have severe allergies that are not responsive to medical treatment, it might be worth moving, and then moving again when that happens.

[AuburnAL]

I am surprised by the number of cedar trees I see driving around. As much trouble as they cause you'd think people would cut them down. I know one or a dozen trees won't make a difference, but act locally and think globally right?

[cariadbach]

Can I change tack slightly here?

In the Uk, one of my husband's aunts was a pioneer in the treatment of allergies. She and her partner were the first doctors to treat severe allergy sufferers in enclosed tents where the air was filtered of as many toxins/allergenic stuff as possible. You can google her - Dr Honor Anthony and Dr Jonathan Maberley. They called their treatment "environmental medicine" for obvious reasons.

Their theory, very simply was that we all have a threshold above which we are healthy and free of symptoms. Go below it and the body will have problems. So, if for example, you move to Austin and you are subjected to a whole load of new allergens. This extra "load" will have pushed your body below it's healthy threshold. You might get sick with something and that will also push you below the threshold. One answer is to remove as many allergens as possible, by moving perhaps, by installing super duper filtration. Another answer is to make your body as strong and healthy as possible. Take a really good multi-vitamin, exercise, eat good food. Sometimes, when your body is really run-down you need to do both to help yourself to recover and then you can cope with your environment again.

Think about the toxins in your home...carpets trap dust. dust mites and give off fumes, paint, laminate flooring. Keep the air fresh by using the filter on your hvac unit.

If you're a doctor, reading this and have any interest in it, I have her book which I'll happily lend. It's very interesting reading and I think she was way ahead of her time.

[hoffdano]

Aren't allergens low in general in the heat of the summer? Mold is low, no "cedar," elm, etc.