WMBD/WYZZ TV - PEORIA -- The height of flu season is over but if you are not feeling too great these days you are certainly not alone.

Spring may end flu season, but doctors say it started a whole new wave of respiratory problems.

OSF Saint Francis Emergency Physician Jim Brown said, "This time of year we see an increase of viral upper respiratory infections."

Signals include high fever, congestion that lasts more than a week and difficulty breathing.

"Those people need to be evaluated because there are other medical conditions that need to be excluded,"said Brown.

But getting in to be seen by a doctor can sometimes be a dilemma.

Administrative Director of Emergency Services at Methodist Hospital Tony Howard said,"We want to get the length to as short as possible."

Methodist is posting its wait times on the web to help patients.

"If the wait time is longer than they want they could choose one of our MedPointes," said Howard.

The time updates every 15 minutes between 9 A.M. and 1 A.M.

"If you're a critical patient that needs to be seen right away, you're brought back and seen immediately," said Howard.

Sinus suffers may be able to cut out the wait altogether through home remedies.

"Does this person have a cold or more allergy type symptoms," questioned Brown.

Doctor Brown said allergies are associated with a clear runny nose and itchy eyes, treatable by allergy medication and nasal sprays.

"More commonly with the cold you'll get some cough," said Brown.

Brown said even a low grade fever. "The best advice is rest, plenty of fluids, Tylenol if they need something for aches and pains," said Brown.

But not everyone should skip the doctors visit.
 
 "If you have asthma, emphysema with those problems even a simple cold can cause problems with their other illnesses. It's very important to be evaluated," said Brown.