Mountain cedar allergy season typically starts in the early winter of South Texas and extends for at least a couple of months. It is those months that are typically the worst time of the year for allergy sufferers. The San Antonio and Austin areas are especially bad due to the high concentration of mountain cedar trees and the relatively windy weather that is common to the winter months that spreads the pollen around.

Due to the incredibly high pollen counts (which may continue for several days to weeks) that can occur with mountain cedar, it is by far one of the worst pollens for allergy sufferers. Mountain cedar pollen counts can occasionally reach such a high level that the pollen is actually considered an air pollutant, with the air actually appearing somewhat hazy?).

The pollen typically overpowers the symptom-control of just about every common allergy treatment known to medicine. Even prescription medications and inhalers may not be a match for the clouds of pollen.

Fortunately, there is a new approach to this problem. Energy medicine techniques, based on the thousand-year-old healing traditions of acupuncture (althought the new methods do not require needles and are totally painless), are now available that can effectively "desensitize" allergy sufferers to many allergens, including mountain cedar pollen. These strange-looking methods take effect quickly - within 24 hours and can eliminate mountain cedar allergies for the remaining months of the cedar fever season, and often for future seasons for years to come.

The most popular of these techniques is known as NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique), named after acupuncturist and chiropractor, Dr. Devi Nambudripad. This technique was discovered accidentally by Dr. Nambudripad when she learned how to eliminate her own allergies. Reportedly, Dr. She herself was afflicted with many food allergies and because of this was on an extremely limited diet. One evening she was fixing dinner for her husband and was cutting up carrots (which she was allergic to). Apparently, just getting a little bit of carrot juice on her skin was enough to trigger an allergy attack. Dr. Nambudripad immediately stopped what she was doing and decided to perform an acupuncture treatment on herself and lie down to rest. She actually fell asleep with the acupuncture needles still in place, and when she awoke, she noticed that she was feeling much better. She noticed that in her haste she had failed to wash off all of the carrot juice from her hands and there were still bits of carrot on her skin, but she was no longer reacting to it. On a hunch, she tried eating a small amount of carrot and to her excitement, she did not have any adverse reaction to it. From there, the technique was developed and is now used for desensitizing all kinds of allergens - including inhaled pollens such as the case with mountain cedar allergy.

A number of other allergy desensitization methods have been developed based on NAET. I have been using a method called Allergy and Sensitivity Elimination and Reprogramming Technique (or ASERT for short) for the past several years with great success. While not identical to NAET, the principles are similar. Instead of acupuncture needles, ASERT uses "cold" laser to stimulate acupuncture points, and the procedure is completely painless and well-tolerated even by very young children.

Both NAET and ASERT defy a believable description, but they are remarkably fast acting, taking effect in 24 hours or less, and the desensitization effect lasts for several months to several years in the majority of cases. The procedure to desensitize mountain cedar pollen, or any other single allergen, is easily done within just one 20 to 30 minute office visit in most cases. After the procedure, the allergic reactions (congestion, irritated eyes, etc.) ease off quickly and the need for antihistamines, decongestants, and other medications is typically eliminated.

So, if cedar fever has you in it's grasp, or if you suffer from any other allergies, there's good news - you don't have to suffer anymore!