BOSTON -- Have you noticed your child sneezing and coughing a lot lately? It could be the common cold, but there's a big chance they may have seasonal allergies.

As NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Thursday, knowing the signs can help soothe symptoms faster.

VIDEO: Seasonal Allergy Signs Nothing To Sneeze At

"I can't have any pets. I'm allergic to trees and grass. I have lots of spring-time allergies," said 12-year-old Noah Adams, of Newton, Mass.

Adams allergy shots are as painful as his symptoms.

"I get a runny nose, and sometimes a pretty bad cough and itchy eyes," he said.

According to the Allergy and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 40 million people suffer from allergies. Forty percent of them are children.

"It's the most common chronic disease in kids," said Dr. Elizabeth Tepas, a pediatric allergist for the MassGeneral Hospital for Children at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Even though it's so common, Tepas said parents often mistake allergies for a cold.

"The common cold generally only lasts up to a week. So when you have symptoms that last longer, that's when you tend to think about allergies," she said.

Tepas said tell-tale signs of allergies include a runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, ears and mouth.

"Kids also have more of the snorting, sniffling and coughing. They often make this interesting noise when they itch the roof of their mouth and their palette. And it sounds like a clicking or a clucking," said Tepas.

Taking the time to know the signs is important. A recent national survey found when kids suffer their performance in school drops, they have more sick days and sleep is often interrupted.

"Not so much concentrating. Occasionally sleeping because my nose is really runny," said Adams.

To alleviate symptoms, Tepas said limit your child's exposure to allergens. For example, changing their clothes after they play outside, close the car and house windows, and run the air conditioner instead.

"The filter in the air conditioner will catch the pollen will help as well," said Tepas.