Doctors worry that allergy patients are now at risk for serious infections because of a long, nasty allergy season.
Doctors in North Texas say they are seeing more patients with upper respiratory problems earlier in the season.
"There's a lot of allergies, because the tree pollen in this area is very, very high but during this time of year, we see a lot of overlap between winter colds and summer colds as well," said Dr. Chris Dreiling, a pediatrician with Texas Health Dallas.
But some physicians said they are concerned all the upper respiratory problems could lead to a spike in pneumonia cases.
"That's what you absolutely don't want to see," Dreiling said. "That can put a child into the hospital. It's much more dangerous than other sorts of complications."
Dreiling said his office with the Pediatrics Associates of Dallas has been busy with coughing kids who are brought in by their hacking parents.
"It's been a little bad this year because (of) the flux in weather," he said.
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Besides over-the-counter medicines, doctors suggest people whose allergies have them sneezing and coughing use a saline wash to clean out their sinuses.
