‘Tis the season for Kleenex packs in pockets and vampire coughs, for sneeze frenzies and eternally running noses. Allergies have taken the city and its inhabitants by storm again this year, and weirdly, it seems rougher than ever.

Austin’s pollen count has always kicked both local and newbie butt alike during the beautiful yet bittersweet spring season. Even though the bluebonnets are blooming and the sun is out, some of us are under house arrest to avoid the hot messes we become when nature “springs” us with pollen and dust particles.

Hands down, cedar fever hits us the hardest. Those days of heat and sunshine in December and January has cedar pollen victims racing to clinics for steroid shots. KVUE news has even ranked Austin as one of the worst cedar pollen cities in all of America, specifying the downtown Austin community at number 2 last year. KXAN also reported that this year’s cedar pollen count reached historic levels, making 2016 the worst cedar season for Austinites.

But let’s not forget about dear old oak, willow and cottonwood. Oak, willow and cottonwood take cedar’s place in the allergy arena when February and March start to roll around, and not only do they stain the roads in a gross powdery yellow color; it also sucks the fun right out of spring. Oak pollen literally rains from the skies, contaminating and toxifying the air that we need to breathe.

In all honesty, all four of our beloved city’s seasons are allergy seasons with grass in the summer and ragweed in the fall, so if you’ve made it this far already, kudos to you. But be aware: just because you’re in your 20s doesn’t mean the allergies won’t ever come. I’ve lived in Austin for over 15 years, and only this year did allergies start to kill all the joys in my life.

If you’re new to this and are attempting to fight this war against nature’s vengeance that it calls “allergy season,” here’s some advice. Keep Claritin or Zyrtec close, drink a lot of tea, and locate nearby clinics that readily provide allergy shots.

If you’re immune to all this bodily chaos, I hate you and I wish I was you.