AUSTIN (KXAN) — Cedar did not show up under the microscope during our most recent ice storm but did start populating the pollen slide once the ice melted.

We’re catching up with Nicole Pinedo, a wellness specialist with People’s Pharmacy. She spent a little time in late January speaking with me about different types of home remedies that seem to work better for some people who suffer during cedar fever season.

One suggestion Nicole shared during our chat is for people to make sure what they are battling. She refers to it as the annual game of “am I sick or do I actually have cedar fever” because fighting the two are different.

She talks about some of the homeopathy remedies that are available along with some trusted herbal remedies and Chinese medicine. These are all available in one special section at the pharmacy.

The Cedar Serum is a slow fix and should be started around Thanksgiving. It does take a few days to work.

Can you start it now? That’s an answer for the folks at People’s.

A lot of you like the quick fix of a nasal decongestant. Here, there is another question you have to answer. Are you having a histamine response or a mucal response? The mucal response is the one that helps to determine how much cedar is in the air. If the response is mucal then an anti-histamine will be of no use to you. Nicole says the body will produce excess mucus to help get rid of the pollen.

Finally, our expert offers how using a steamer can help the body get rid of the pollen.