Differential features of common cold and allergic rhinitis - McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine

Table 2.1-1. Differential features of common cold and allergic rhinitis
Manifestation	Common cold	Allergic rhinitis
Watery nasal discharge	Frequent	Frequent
Nasal congestion	Frequent, usually severe	Frequent, variable
Sneezing	Usual	Frequent
Nasal itching	Never	Usual
Nasal pain	Usual	Never
Ocular itching	Rare	Frequent
Cough	Frequent	Quite frequent
Fever	Rare	Never
Generalized pain	Minor	Never
Fatigue, weakness	Minor	Occasional, minor
Sore throat	Frequent	Never
Palatal and pharyngeal itching	Never	Sometimes
Duration	3-14 days	Weeks or months
Adapted from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Is It a Cold or an Allergy? https://nccih.nih.gov/health/allergies.