Cold or Allergy Symptoms?

Is it a Cold or an Allergy?

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell. There is no good way to tell the difference between allergy symptoms of runny nose, coughing, and sneezing and cold symptoms. However, there are some distinctions. Allergy symptoms may last longer than cold symptoms. Anyone who has a respiratory illness that lasts longer than a week should consult a health care provider.

Use this handy chart to help differentiate a cold from allergies.

Symptoms	Cold	Airborne Allergy
Cough	Common	Sometimes
General Aches, Pains	Slight	Never
Fatigue, Weakness	Sometimes	Sometimes
Itchy Eyes	Rare or Never	Common
Sneezing	Usual	Usual
Sore Throat	Common	Common
Runny Nose	Common	Common
Stuffy Nose	Common	Common
Fever	Rare	Never
Duration	3 to 14 Days	Weeks (for example, 6 weeks for ragweed or pollen seasons
Treatment	Antihistamines/Decongestants Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatrory medicines	Antihistamines/Nasal Steroids Decongestants
Prevention	Wash your hands often Avoid contact with anyone with a cold	Avoid those things that you are allergic to like pollen, house dust mites, mold, pet dander, cockroaches, etc.
Complications	Sinus Infection Middle Ear Infection Asthma	Sinus Infection Asthma

Content Created/Medically Reviewed by our Expert Doctors