Pediatric allergists urge parents to test early before school starts

Aspire Allergy & Sinus is warning parents that lingering congestion, sneezing and itchy eyes may be allergies, not a back-to-school cold. The practice says early testing can help protect sleep, learning and long-term respiratory health as children head into the fall school year.

Why it matters: - Untreated childhood allergies can disrupt sleep, concentration and classroom performance. - Early diagnosis may help families manage symptoms sooner and could reduce the risk of allergic disease progressing toward asthma in some children. - Back-to-school season can blur allergies with routine viral illness, which may delay treatment.

What happened: - Pediatric allergy specialists at Aspire Allergy & Sinus are encouraging parents to consider allergy testing as children return to school this fall. - The guidance targets children with symptoms that can look like repeated colds, including congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, eczema and recurrent sinus infections. - Chief Medical Officer Stacy Silvers, MD, said chronic allergies can interfere with daily life and contribute to the Allergic March, a progression of allergic diseases that may raise asthma risk.

The details: - Aspire physicians said many families dismiss symptoms as seasonal illness or assume children will outgrow them. - The Allergic March, also called the Atopic March, describes a pattern in which some children develop eczema in infancy, then food allergies, then seasonal or environmental allergies, and in some cases asthma. - Not every child follows that path, but allergy specialists say early management may help reduce symptoms and inflammation affecting the airways. - Common childhood allergy signs include weeks of sneezing, clear runny drainage, frequent nose rubbing, itchy or watery eyes, persistent congestion, mouth breathing, snoring, dark circles under the eyes, chronic nighttime cough, eczema flare-ups and recurrent sinus or ear infections. - Allergies typically do not cause fever and can last for weeks or months while exposure to triggers continues. - Uncontrolled allergies can lead to difficulty concentrating, poor sleep, daytime fatigue, irritability, missed school days and less participation in sports and outdoor activities. - Parents should consider evaluation if symptoms last longer than two weeks, return in the same season each year, persist indoors around pets or dust, interfere with sleep, school or sports, or require repeated over-the-counter allergy medicine. - Comprehensive allergy testing can identify environmental triggers and help physicians build personalized treatment plans. - Aspire said seasonal allergies become more common after age 4, but younger children can also develop environmental allergies. - The practice said colds usually improve within 7 to 10 days and may include fever or body aches, while allergies often persist longer and commonly cause itching of the nose or eyes.

Between the lines: - The message reflects a broader push in pediatric care to treat recurring “colds” as a possible chronic condition when symptoms keep returning. - The timing matters because school exposure, indoor allergens and sleep disruption can make allergy symptoms more visible once routines restart. - Early testing is presented as a way to move families from symptom management to trigger identification and long-term control.

What’s next: - Aspire Allergy & Sinus is directing parents to seek appointments if symptoms fit the patterns it outlined. - The practice says it offers comprehensive allergy testing and personalized care for children and adults across Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida and New Mexico. - More information is available on Aspire Allergy & Sinus.