Cedar pollen to hit Central Texas soon

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Tuesday's cold front could begin to shake loose the first cedar pollen of the season. Doctors call cedar pollen the worst pollen out there. They are looking to cedar sufferers here in Central Texas to help them test a new treatment. Coleman Kvapil, 11, had to skip school, because his allergies were so bad.

"I'm wheezing and coughing a lot, and it's hard to breathe sometimes," said Kvapil. "This is the worst time of year when it's all dry, and I might have an infection."

Kvapil came to Allergist Bill Howland, hoping for some relief. "The last few weeks we've had people coming in with mild allergy symptoms," said Howland. "Cedar trees are the heaviest pollinating plants in the world, so when they release their pollen in the air, it can't get any worse than it does in Central Texas.

Lovelace Scientific Researchers have been studying cedar sufferers in Central Texas. Last year, they tested three experimental treatments on hundreds of patients. While the results won't be released for another year, they found one of those treatments did not cut it.

"The pharmaceutical company didn't feel it was effective and abandoned that project," said Howland.

This year, researchers are testing a new nasal spray. They are currently looking for nearly 100 volunteers to test it out. For more information, contact Lovelace Scientific Resources at (512) 795-9404 or visit the Web site.