Are Mulberry Trees Causing Your Allergy Problems?

Mulberry season may be the harshest allergy season in Texas, but so many people don’t know about it outside of El Paso. You could mention cedar almost anywhere in Texas and people could go on for hours about their cedar allergies. Yet if you mention mulberry, more people are likely to think about the nursery rhyme than the allergies the tree creates.

Why mulberry season is so harsh

Mulberry is such a harsh allergy here in El Paso that the city had to ban the planting of new trees in 1992. This was passed in El Paso county due to concerns about the citizens’ health. In fact, El Paso wasn’t the only or even the first city to do this in the southwest. Tucson, Arizona banned the planting of Mulberry trees for very similar reasons in 1984! It was only until the early 90s that cities like Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and El Paso followed suit to protect their cities air quality.

When you think about Southwestern cities like these, you don’t think of them being overly populated with trees. However, the sheer amount of pollen that can come from one mulberry tree, combined with the windy, dry weather of the southwest creates an allergy storm. Hopefully the kids in the nursery rhyme made sure to take an antihistamine before gathering around the mulberry bush.

Mulberry’s pollen season is usually from March to April, but it’s not uncommon for the pollen to start lingering around February. That’s why it’s important to start getting ready for the allergy season.

How you can fight mulberry now

Get your over the counter medicine now and get used to a regular cleaning routine. You don’t want to be the person running to the drug store with a sinus infection to get some relief. This goes for yourself and for your home.

You need to be washing off at least your face and hands after being outside and throwing on a fresh set of clothes. The last thing you want to do is drag in more mulberry pollen. Keep your windows and doors closed as much as you can to keep the pollen out, but you’ll also need to up your cleaning game. Mulberry pollen will still come through even when you’re briefly opening a door and your air conditioner, kids, or pets will be bringing in the rest. Vacuuming and dusting will keep that pollen at bay.

If you’re noticing yourself feel more tired even though you got enough sleep, your allergies are probably also getting in the way. In this case, you may want to consider putting a HEPA air purifier in your bedroom. This will help you create an allergy free environment in at least one room of your home.

Winning the long-term battle against mulberry allergies

The harsh reality from the mulberry ban is that we’re not seeing pollen counts decrease. Albuquerque has outlawed the planting of mulberry trees for over a decade and they’re still not seeing the pollen budge. The fact of the matter is that the Mulberry tree can live for quite a long time. Some mulberry trees can live for over 100 years, but SFGate states even ones grown in landscape environments with poor pruning and water will last to around 25-50 years. What I’m trying to say is that it’s not practical to try to wait for your allergies or the trees to go away. Many people believe that they can live past allergies, but you don’t have to put yourself through this pain because it’s not hard to treat. Immunotherapy is a form of treatment that builds resistance to allergies and gives years of relief. It can be given through weekly injections at a clinic or, even better, from allergy drops that you take at home! Stop letting mulberry put a damper on your life and get relief. Give us a call or request an appointment today!