LUSTRE: Austin

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Health

Hospitals in Austin - The major hospital systems in Austin are St. David's, Seton, and Brackenridge (which is part of the Seton network) . The major, original locations for each are easy to reach from the seminary. St. David's is closest (5 or 6 blocks east on 32nd Street). Brackenridge at 15th and Red River handles many of the city's major trauma victims and may, therefore be better at handling such cases. Seton is west on 38th Street, just past Lamar Boulevard. For care in any neighborhood in Austin, you will find a Seton site nearby.

Cedar Fever -- Central Texas natives and long-term residents already know about Cedar Fever. For those who are new to the area, it is an allergy to the winter blooming trees called Mountain Cedar (Juniperus ashei). Yes, you can develop this allergy within the first blooming season, which peaks around January but extends at least one month on either side. This blasted pollen survives quite some time in the environment, lurking for any dry weather Severe allergies apparently can demonstrate a low fever spike. The usual preventives to this wind-borne allergen include minimizing outdoor activity, keeping household filters clean, running the A/C or heat in the car/house, etc. But if you are already allergy-prone, you may want to consider making an appointment with either your primary care physician or a local allergy specialist to discuss pre-emptive measures, such as anti-histamines or desensitization shots. And for those who say they have no allergies, this non-descript little tree (which does reside on our campus and area yards) may change that!