Spring Allergies in Children: Symptoms, Solutions, and When to See a Doctor

In this episode of On Call with Southern New Hampshire Health, host Keith Baldi sits down with pediatrician Dr. Karen Morgan of Merrimack Pediatrics to talk about spring allergies in children—what they look like, how they differ from a typical cold, and what parents can do to help their kids feel better.

Dr. Morgan shares practical guidance on recognizing both common and lesser-known symptoms, including nighttime cough, irritability, fatigue, and dark circles under the eyes. She also walks through simple steps families can take at home to reduce exposure to allergens, when to consider over-the-counter treatments, and when it’s time to talk with a pediatrician.

From prevention strategies to treatment options, this conversation helps parents better understand how to manage allergy season so kids can stay active, comfortable, and ready to enjoy the outdoors.

Complete Transcript: 

Keith: Welcome to On-Call with Southern New Hampshire Health. I'm your host. Keith Baldy on call delivers the latest health care news and updates, along with insights into the latest medical innovations and technologies. Southern New Hampshire Health is a nonprofit system serving the communities in greater Nashua, New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The health system includes a 188-bed hospital, one of southern New Hampshire's most comprehensive teams of primary and specialty care providers, and five walk-in immediate care locations open seven days a week for urgent needs.

Southern New Hampshire health expert care close to home. Thank you for joining us for today's episode of On Call. We're talking about spring allergies and children, from diagnosis to surviving the season. This is something that every parent thinks about as we come out of winter. And we're joined today by Dr. Karen Morgan, a pediatrician at Southern New Hampshire Health’s Merrimack Pediatrics. Doctor Morgan, thanks for joining us.

Dr. Morgan: Thanks for having me.

Keith: Absolutely. Okay, before we jump into the questions, we always like to get to know our guests. Doctor Morgan, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you became a pediatrician?

Dr. Morgan: I have been practicing for 14 years in the community here in New Hampshire. I did my medical school education at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. And then I did my residency training at Connecticut Children's Hospital in Hartford. And then I resided back up here in New Hampshire, and I've been living here ever since.

I love being a pediatrician. When I was younger, I always knew I loved science, and I happened to be a lifetime Girl Scout. I always liked helping people. So I thought, after I worked in the industry for a little bit and I was in the science world, as a scientist for a couple of years, I applied to medical school and got in, and I thought that this would be a wonderful way of helping people as well as merging that the incredible knowledge that you have to know in order to be a doctor.

Keith: So a STEM student?

Dr. Morgan: Yes.

Keith: Amazing. Yes. Let's. Great. So, let's dive a little bit into spring allergies. You know, many of us suffer from spring allergies. I certainly do. And a lot of people do. But in adults, it's a little different sometimes, as opposed to children.

So, yes, what should parents be looking out for this time of year?

Dr. Morgan: So, this is a great question. Common symptoms are a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes. That's what we tend to think of. But kids sometimes have a little bit of different presentations, such as a chronic cough, especially at night. They might have some dark circles under their eyes. They might be mouth breathing a lot, or even snoring. But because of the chronic waking up at night, kids are often fatigued or irritable.

Keith: So, you know, we might see that normally as you're saying, you know, a runny nose, a little cough, and you're like, oh, maybe it's some spring allergies, but these other symptoms that are surprising sometimes to parents.

Dr. Morgan: Yes, absolutely.

Keith: And so definitely look out for that type of thing that you may like you said, you know, if your child is tired, maybe it's allergies.

Dr. Morgan: Absolutely. And there are a few things on physical exam we can look for that. You know those dark circles I was just talking about? We actually look into the nose and see if the nose is all swollen and puffy; there are just different signs. We can absolutely see that it's not just the symptoms. Sometimes we actually have physical exam findings.

Keith: Oh, okay. That's interesting. You know, obviously, parents try to do something before that. They go to the doctor a lot, right? I mean, what are some of the at-home steps that they may be able to take to reduce allergies or reduce that exposure so they don't even get there?

Dr. Morgan: Sure. So, there are over-the-counter medicines that you can buy in the store. And there's also just home preventative care that we can do, like washing our sheets. And, you know, if we're opening our windows, the pollen’s coming in when the weather's turning nice outside, you can actually close the windows and get even air purifiers in your house.

And then sometimes, you can always start with the over-the-counter products. And then if we have to escalate, we can always talk about nose sprays as well. But if you're starting to reach for nose sprays and over-the-counter stuff, I definitely recommend coming in and talking to your pediatrician.

Keith: Yeah, I was going to say, because some of the times those don't work, or maybe parents have some concerns. Can I give this to my child, depending on their age?

Dr. Morgan: And the dosing, too? I mean, actually, Zyrtec is FDA approved down to six months, but it's not advertised on the packaging. So, there are other things we can do, and you don't have to wait until you hit that number on the packaging.

Keith: Oh, interesting. Yeah. So obviously that's where, you know, the pediatrician comes in. That's where you. Yeah. So okay, so say, you know, I'm at the point as a parent where I bring my child in. See you. Yes. They have some allergies. We try some things. Maybe it's not working. Testing can come next. Or tell me a little bit about that.

But then that makes sense because, like you're saying, it's not just treating the allergies when they happen.

Dr. Morgan: To have several weeks of being miserable before you start the treatment. Yeah. You want to just be totally proactive. And then, hopefully, the season will be mild for you.

Keith: Right. And so, in your experience, does that kind of head off maybe some of these other symptoms, like the tiredness, like the dark circles on the eyes, you can manage that.

Dr. Morgan: Yes. And the kids are starting to play outside. They're starting all their sports up, and then they're able to, you know, enjoy that going. Who wants to be miserable on the soccer field? You know. So, you know, they actually are able to get through the game and be a better team player and be able to function pretty well in school, too.

Keith: Right, right. And so catching those early on, you can come up with a treatment plan, right? For their day-to-day. Absolutely. Like you said. So, manage it ahead of time. But also you can manage it after you're exposed. Right. So, what kind of suggestions do you have for parents for “Okay, my child is going to go play soccer. Yeah. And it's the grass and everything else”?

Dr. Morgan: And that's great. I tell my families, you know, you know, during those several weeks where they have their allergies up, you know, some of the treatments they can do are, you know, close the windows, after they are done, playing their game, if they're playing outside, make sure you don't walk around in your house with shoes on, you know, leave them at the door so that we just reduce that pollen burden in your house.

Keith: Interesting. Right. Because when you think about it, I think I personally, as a parent, I'm thinking like, how do I manage the symptoms? And one of the ways to manage the symptoms, what you're saying, is to make sure you don't have the pollen exposure or you take care of yourself after you're exposed.

Dr. Morgan: Yes, absolutely. And one of the other things, too, is, you know, a lot of people have animals, and they forget that those animals go outside and they go into the woods and they're rubbing and they get the pollen on them. So, when the animals come back, you can either rub them down or, during those times, just ask your animal not to sleep with you.

Keith: Right. I was going to say, yeah, maybe you think like, oh, it's all of a sudden I'm allergic to the dog.

Dr. Morgan: Right? But it actually might just be the season that you're in, with the animal playing outside and bringing that pollen into your bed.

Keith: Right. So, this is a lot of parents this time of year. They call and come in to see you about this. Is this a pretty common occurrence?

Dr. Morgan: And, you know, this time of the year, you have the tail end of the cold season, but the cultures usually are more like fever, body aches. And they resolve within a week. But if you're seeing longer symptoms lingering for weeks, you know, itchy eyes, sneezing, a clear runny nose, it might be symptoms of allergies.

Keith: That is a tough one.

Dr. Morgan: Little nuances. Yes.

Keith: I think, you know, every time, especially in the winter, we're all like, oh, they have a little cold again. But I guess they can be allergies.

Dr. Morgan: Like dust mites, we all have, you know, the indoor allergen, in the fall I know we talk about spring right away. But in the fall, when we start closing up our winter houses and stuff and turning on all that heat, it's moving around that dust in the house. And sometimes I'm able to pick up other allergies throughout the year, not just spring allergies.

Keith: Sure. And so just to reiterate, because I think this is a good point about cold versus allergy. Like, you know, you have a cold or the flu or something like that versus allergies. What are some of the things that parents can know? It's a clear, runny nose.

Dr. Morgan: Yeah, exactly. So, typical colds are, you know, you're going to have those body aches. You don't usually have body aches, but with allergies, you'll have that fever. And again, you'll have other people in the house who will also have very similar symptoms. And often household members don't. Everybody gets the same allergies. So sometimes you're just one person in the household that is ill or is appearing ill, and it's really just allergies.

Keith: Okay. Well, thank you so much. As we wrap up, I just want to mention that Southern New Hampshire Health has a great way to make sure that you can find the best primary care provider available. You can call 1-603-880-EASY. That's 1-603-880-3279, and you'll be matched with someone who best fits your needs. You've been listening to On Call from Southern New Hampshire Health.

For more information about the health system, or to learn more about some of the topics featured in this podcast, visit us on social media and on our website SNHhealth.org.