Spring Allergies: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

The itchy watery eyes. Sneezing and runny nose. The symptoms look a lot like a cold, but with no fever. It means spring time allergies are acting up. If you can't bear to make your little one tough it out and want to buy an over the counter medicine, pediatrician Dr. Joe Matusic says cold medicines with antihistamines help. Outdoor triggers can't be avoided. There are the over the counter names you know, like Benedryl, Dimetapp, and also Claritin and Zyrtec.

Dr. Joe Matusic
There are the older sedating type medicines, which is the traditional kind you have heard of before, Benedryl, Dimetapp, Triaminic and the newer ones like Claritin and Zyrtec that are supposedly non-sedating. They just don't always work for younger kids. Below 4 to 5 I don't always see that the non-sedating works. You could try them, but they don't always work very well.

Dr. Joe Matusic
Recognize it's going to take a couple of days to build us and help you the best. And after you stop it takes a couple days to stop it.

Most pollens are released for 4 to 6 weeks. And possibly 8 to 12. He tells parents to give the medicine and give it a couple days to start working. If it does help, take it for a month at a time. For children younger than school age, call our doctor and keep notes to yourself on your calendar. You can sometimes expect the allergy outbreak the same time every season.

Dr. Joe Matusic
Most of the time you have a seasonal allergy. It's going to come back at the same time. I have literally seen kids the same day year after year for allergy medicine when you can just call and get a refill.

That could save you the time and effort of a doctor's office visit.

Most of all, take your medicine as prescribed to get the greatest benefit. Not hit or miss. For kids who suffer allergies all year, talk to your doctor about individualizing allergy treatment schedules.