TreatAllergies.com

While the symptoms of allergies and colds are similar, there are some ways to tell them apart. One is the order in which the symptoms occur. With a cold, it is common to only have one symptom at a time, starting with sneezing, and followed by a runny nose and congestion. With an allergy, all symptoms can occur all at once.

Another feature is the duration of the symptoms. The symptoms of a cold will only last about a week to ten days but an allergy will continue to produce symptoms as long as the sufferer is exposed to the allergen. Also, consider the time of year that the symptoms developed. Colds are more common during the winter months, whereas allergies are more commonly encountered from spring through to autumn when most pollen is released.

While a cold typically produces a yellowish nasal discharge suggesting an infection, allergies tend to result in a clear and watery discharge of mucus from the nose. Add to this the fact that sneezing is more commonly a symptom of an allergy, especially when they occur in clusters of two or three in a row. While colds are often accompanied by a fever, this is not a feature of allergies.