News

January as it marks the beginning of a new year, is by far one of the most exciting months! Children start new school semesters, adults may begin new jobs in new locations, and everyone is setting resolutions to make this year better than the last. Depending on your industry, there are quite a few cities you may find yourself moving to in the new year. With new cities come new opportunities, new experiences, but also for those who suffer from allergies, new allergens and triggers to be aware of. Austin is one such city you may find yourself in!

One of the reasons why people are moving to Austin is because of the employment opportunities available in the area. Austin has one of the strongest job markets with the tech sector thriving in the area making Austin earn its nickname Silicon Hills. 

There are also several large tech companies moving to Austin. In 2020, Tesla announced the construction of its Gigafactory in Del Valle; while Oracle Corporation stated that it will be relocating its headquarters from California to the Texas capital. Aside from tech, medical and education sectors are continuously growing as well.

Generally, Austin is a great city to work in even if you’re not in the tech field! Tech is a huge influence on most businesses in the area which provides them a cutting-edge no matter in what industry you work.

Major Employers in Austin

Technology, business, professional services, healthcare, education, and government are top employment sectors in the Austin area. There are many corporations headquartered in Austin especially with tech companies. Large corporations headquartered in Austin include Ascension Seton Healthcare, Dell Technologies, Oracle Corporation, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Indeed, and Whole Foods Market.

Major employers in Austin include Apple Inc., where their new campus will accommodate 5,000 employees and the potential to grow up to 15,000. Dell Technologies employs over 13,00 employees. 

Austin Independent School District has over 12,000 employees. Oracle Corporation has over 4,500 employees in Texas and with its recent relocation in Austin can grow to as many as 10,000. Tesla’s Gigafactory has planned to hire 5,000 people to staff their new facility in Del Valle. Tesla has also moved their headquarters from California to Austin, TX.

Top Five Things to do in Austin:

Austin is a paradise for people that are fond of music, entertainment, and outdoor attractions. You’ll never run out of entertainment and relaxation places to visit too. Austin is a city renowned for more than just its music scene, with quirky coffee shops, food, parks, greenbelts, seasonal activities, and annual music festivals.

1. Watch the sunrise and sunset at the Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. This outdoor destination located downtown offers kayak, paddleboard, and canoe rentals as well as a 10-mile hike and bike trail.

• Austin’s music scene is one of the things you’ll want to look forward to in the area. There is live music everywhere you go in Austin. From the airport to grocery stores to the entertainment districts in Downtown Austin, live music follows you wherever you go. The live music in Austin is huge making it a haven for fans of music with different genres.

• Austin’s murals are awe inspiring. Snap a photo for your Instagram at various murals in Austin, Hi, How Are You, Don’t Mess with Texas, i love you so much, and Greetings from Austin are some of the popular murals located in downtown and Central Austin.

• Austinites value their health and fitness which is made the city one of the fittest and healthiest cities in America. You’ll be able to find plenty of workout options in Austin from hiking and biking trails to outdoor yoga sessions, gyms, paddle-boarding, swimming, and cycling. The environment is perfect for keeping or getting in shape especially with the number of walkable neighborhoods surrounding the area.

• Some of the most anticipated events in Austin are South by Southwest (SXSW) with venues throughout Austin, Austin City Limits, and Trail of Lights in Zilker Park.

Maybe you’ve discovered these allergens:

The Austin area welcomes an astonishing number of new residents every year. Many people cite our relatively mild climate and amazing year-round outdoor activities as reasons they flock to central Texas. Once they arrive and find themselves paddle boarding on the Colorado River or biking around Lady Bird Lake, they may notice one of the area downsides – seasonal allergies. Austin boasts a robust menu of airborne allergens that wreak havoc on its residents, both new and seasoned.

While many areas of the country experience an allergy reprieve in the winter, Austin has its worst allergy season December through February thanks to the infamous mountain cedar tree. (Oddly, the tree is rarely called by its real name, Ashe juniper.) The male mountain cedar tree releases puffs of up to a billion pollen grains that then get carried for miles by the wind. The pollen clouds float around and sometimes resemble yellow smoke.

The mountain cedar causes “cedar fever,” which does not actually include a fever but is the colloquial term for an allergic reaction to the tree. Cedar fever refers to intense and sometimes debilitating allergy symptoms including nasal congestion, incessant sneezing, itchy/red/burning eyes, sore throat, headache, and fatigue. People may even miss work or school due to the severity of these symptoms!

Once cedar fever mercifully dies down, the new growth and promise of spring brings other tree pollen issues through June. The trees that most affect the Austin area include pecan, elm, oak, ash, and cottonwood. Oak pollen is especially visible and problematic during this time, as it coats cars, sidewalks, and backyard grills in a fine yellow powder. Warm, dry, and windy conditions are a spring allergy-sufferer’s enemy because that is when pollen really gets tossed around in the air.

Summer welcomes grass pollen to the forefront of the Austin allergy forecast. Grass pollen spreads thanks to the same warm, dry, windy conditions as spring, and frequent lawn mowing churns everything up and throws the pollen and even dust into the air as well. Mold can prove problematic during the summer, especially after it rains and humidity spikes.

Fall is an especially popular time for outdoor activities in Austin. Football games, Austin City Limits Music Festival, hiking, biking, and general relief that the dog days of summer are over mean people take advantage of a dip in temperature by heading outside. Unfortunately, weed pollens also like to come out and play in the fall. Ragweed is the worst offender. It can grow taller than a person and produces a ton of potent pollen. Weed pollen usually peaks in October and begins to lessen in November – just in time for mountain cedar to make its unwelcome appearance in December.

Living in the beautiful, dynamic Austin area does not doom you to suffer from hay fever (allergic rhinitis) forever! If you find yourself experiencing persistent allergy symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and congestion around the same time(s) each year for weeks or even months at a time, you may be one of the many Texans battling seasonal allergies. One of Greater Austin Allergy’s highly trained physicians will guide you through the process of identifying your allergy triggers. Based on your allergens and symptoms, an individualized treatment plan will address your needs. Medication can work wonders in some patients. Others choose immunotherapy (allergy drops or allergy shots), which builds up your body’s immunity to allergens over time. Come in to see us at one of our six locations in Austin before your symptoms start for the season so we can help you win the Austin allergy battle!

How we can treat you:

Biologics – Allergy and immunology treatment options continue to expand, thanks in large part to a drug class called biologics. Derived from living organisms, these medications can target specific components of the immune system and prevent inflammation that causes a variety of conditions. Greater Austin Allergy Associates’ specialists stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in the field. We offer several biologics that provide a beacon of hope for some patients whose conditions, including severe asthma and eczema, have not responded well to traditional treatments.

Allergy Shots  – When allergy medicine and avoidance do not provide sufficient relief, allergy shots can make all the difference in a patient’s quality of life. They are not a quick fix, but many people find them to be well worth the time and effort. They can desensitize your immune system to pollen (trees, grass, weeds), insect stings, pet dander, dust, mold, and cockroaches. Removing these allergic reactions can result in relief from asthma, eczema, ear issues, and sinus troubles exacerbated by allergies.

Allergy Drops – Oral allergy drops have proven safe and effective for patients facing rhinitis, asthma, and eczema caused by airborne allergens including grass, pollen, ragweed, pet dander, mold, and dust mites.

Meet our providers

Dr. Ronald Cox takes great care to listen intently to his patients as they discuss their symptoms, what they have tried, what has worked, and what hasn’t. Dr. Cox asks open-ended questions in an effort to get his patients to think about things they may have previously missed with other allergists. On the basis of these comprehensive talks, Dr. Cox formulates a plan with his patients that works bests for them.

Dr. Seth Hollander has been named a Texas Super Doctor since 2016. He believes in treating patients like people as opposed to numbers and statistics; everyone is different and has their own story to tell. He enjoys finding the underlying cause for a patient’s symptoms and explaining how treatment can help. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, music, photography, and cheering on the Longhorns and his kids.

Dr. Henry Legere studied chemistry at UC Berkeley, received his MD from Columbia University and completed his fellowship at Harvard Medical School. After his fellowship, he became a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and served as a staff physician at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and MIT Medical before starting his clinical practice and research center. His team is known for their progressive approach to treating allergies using advanced protocols for accelerated desensitization timelines as well as utilizing transdermal creams instead of needles for transporting immunotherapy across the skin.

Dr. Thomas Smith was the Director of the Allergy and Immunology Residency Training Program at Emory University School of Medicine. He has served on the Editorial Boards of both of the major allergy society journals. Dr. Smith has been included in Best Doctors in America since 1994 and has been named a Texas Super Doctor since 2003. He has received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a member of the Expert Panel for Allergy for the Texas Medical Board.

Dr. Niharika Marpu is both an adult and pediatric board-certified allergist immunologist and has finished her fellowship at one of the top allergy programs in the country, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Internal Medicine residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

Dr. Nikki Patel is a Board-Certified Allergist and Immunologist and a member of the American College of Allergy and Immunology and American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. She holds Doctorate of Medicine from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. She is a Texas native in the process of returning to beautiful Austin from South Dakota.

Originally hailing from California, Dr. Eric Schultz obtained an MPH in epidemiology before continuing his education and attending medical school. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine where he was Intensive Care Resident of the Year, Resident Teacher of the Year, and twice named Resident of the Year.

Tammy Morgan PA-C Moved to Pflugerville from Mobile, AL in 2019. She is married with 3 beautiful kids and her interests include spending time with family, reading, hosting dinner parties, playing board games, and swimming.

Kristin Foley, FNP-C was born and raised in East Texas, but has been a Central Texas Native for the last 15 years. Her husband, Michael, 4 kiddos, 1 German Shepherd and numerous cows live in Lexington on 65 acres. When they are not dividing time between kiddos on the ballfield (baseball, softball, and football), they enjoy college football (a house divided… Gig ‘Em!) and shark fishing off the beaches of the Texas Gulf (just ask her to see her latest catch!!!).

We look forward to serving you in 2023.