The reason behind why many people are confused between allergic rhinitis and common cold is because both of them have many common symptoms. For example, allergic rhinitis leads to stuffy and runny nose but so does common cold, most of the times, the person suffering from common cold also suffers from sore throat and the same is true with allergic rhinitis and also the common cold is rarely accompanied by fever and the same can be said about allergic rhinitis as it is never accompanied by a fever. Some other common symptoms are watery eyes, headache, sneezing and cough. It has been suggested that almost half of the people who think they are suffering from common cold are actually suffering from allergic rhinitis which is caused by many different types of allergenic substances in our surroundings like pollen, dust and molds. However, with careful observation we can tell the difference between the two and should be able to distinguish one from another.

Some of the distinguishing factors are: in case of common cold, the nasal membranes are inflamed and red whereas allergic rhinitis leads to boggy and pale membranes. Also, in case of common cold the runny nose turns green or yellow after some days whereas in case of allergic rhinitis the runny nose remains colorless.