Pollen!

I've been a little under the weather the past few days. Pollen is thick here where I live right now. Today I walked out to check the mail and I could see it floating in the air. The predominant pollens here right now are Cedar and Juniper. I am allergic to cedar pollen.

The photograph above is my windshield from one afternoon this week as I was leaving to pick up my kids at school.

I thought I would do an entry with some allergy info. Do you have allergy symptoms during certain times of the year? Did you know you can go to http://www.pollen.com/ and type in your zip code and find out your pollen forecast? You can also explore the site and learn about plants, trees, weeds, grasses indigenous to your region.

If you experience severe allergy symptoms you ought to consider visiting an allergist. They can test you for every plant, tree, weed, grass, mold, food, animal. I had this test taken about 7 years ago when I lived in Albany, GA. I was so sick and decided to find out what I was getting sick from. Come to find out I am allergic to Pecan trees. Well, Georgia is the pecan capital of the world I think.

I also found out from this test that I am allergic to food: bananas, soy (yes, that's right, soy), animals: cat hair, cat pelt, weeds: dock/sorrel, lamb's quarter, marsh elder, pig weed, trees: pecan, cedar, cottonwood, sweetgum, sycamore, walnut, molds: monilia/neurospora, and rhodotorula sp.

Some of the things from that list do not bother me at all. Soy, however, does so I have to try to avoid it as much as possible. I believe the more of the things on the list that my body is exposed at once the worst my allergies can be.

I know this isn't about decorating or cooking, but I like to share information that others can use, too. Maybe you or someone in your home suffers occasionally from allergies. It's always good to check the pollen count in your area to know when to take allergy medicine as a preventative.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)