--- title: "Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different? | Sutter Health" description: "My 6-year-old daughter has recently been sneezing, coughing and is tired. How can I tell if this is caused by allergies or if it's a common cold?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/allergy-cold-symptoms-how-are-they-different-1051061287" --- 1. Home / 2. Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different? # Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different? * * * Medically reviewed by - Ronald L. Brown, M.D. ## Question My 6-year-old daughter has recently been sneezing, coughing and is tired. How can I tell if this is caused by allergies or if it's a common cold? ## Answer A cold will typically start with a sore throat, then lead to thick yellow or green mucus and possibly a cough. The symptoms last about seven to 10 days. Allergy symptoms include itchy eyes and throat, and clear watery discharge. These symptoms can last for several weeks. Both colds and allergies can cause fatigue and sneezing. Allergy testing and a complete history can tell one from the other. ## Explore related topics Breathing and allergiesChildren's healthCold and Flu ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited? Are some allergies and asthma inherited? My sister and I seem to be allergic to the same foods and pollens. Also do children ever outgrow these conditions? - Health Q&A ### Allergies Plus Shortness of Breath? I struggle with seasonal allergies and take Claritin, plus use a neti pot. This season, I have also had shortness of breath and light coughing, but no wheezing. It's hard to do my usual workouts. Is there some kind of inhaler I can use? - Health Q&A ### Allergy Treatment I've been plugged up for months with allergies. I've used decongestants, antihistamines, and sinus rinses but nothing seems to help. Any advice? - Health Q&A ### Asthma and Stress Correlation I have had asthma since childhood. 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View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/allergy-cold-symptoms-how-are-they-different-1051061287#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different?"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/allergy-cold-symptoms-how-are-they-different-1051061287#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/allergy-cold-symptoms-how-are-they-different-1051061287","name":"Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different?","description":"A cold will typically start with a sore throat, then lead to thick yellow or green mucus and possibly a cough.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/allergy-cold-symptoms-how-are-they-different-1051061287#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/allergy-cold-symptoms-how-are-they-different-1051061287#question","name":"Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different?","text":"My 6-year-old daughter has recently been sneezing, coughing and is tired. 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