Do I have allergies or the common cold?

April 24th, 2015

The symptoms of allergies (seasonal allergic rhinitis, aka “hay fever”) can often be confused with the common cold (aka viral upper respiratory infections).  There are some key differences which you should learn.

Here is a chart with some distinguishing features that can help you to find out which one you have.

Symptom	Allergy	Cold
Runny Nose	Usually	Usually
Cough	Sometimes	Usually
Sore Throat	Sometimes	Usually
Watery, Itchy Eyes	Usually	Rarely
Fever	Never	Usually
Body Aches	Never	Usually
Fatigue	Sometimes	Usually
Worse when outdoors	Yes	No
Lasting >2 weeks	Yes	Rarely
Contagious	No	Yes