Is it a cold or hay fever? Symptoms, timing and duration compared
Hay fever or a cold? Compare symptoms, duration and timing as German and UK health sources describe them, and learn what to bring to the doctor.
On this page
Your nose is running and your eyes itch. Is it a cold or hay fever? The German Allergy Information Service (Allergieinformationsdienst) calls hay fever the most common allergic disease. The symptoms overlap with a cold, so mixing them up is easy. This text compares what the Allergy Information Service, IQWiG (the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care) and the NHS write about symptoms, duration and timing. It does not replace an examination. A doctor's office clarifies what is behind your symptoms. Until then, Sam helps you record how your days go.
The core differences: timeline, triggers, and symptom patterns
Both conditions affect the nose. IQWiG lists the typical cold symptoms as a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, cough and a sore throat. A cold often starts with a scratchy throat. Soon after, the nose runs and swells shut. Sometimes a mild fever, tiredness, headache and aching limbs follow.
The Allergy Information Service lists these hay fever symptoms: a runny nose, an itchy nose, a frequent urge to sneeze, a blocked nose, and watery, itchy, inflamed eyes. Headache, tiredness and loss of appetite can come with them. The NHS lists coughing too. IQWiG counts cough among the asthma-like complaints that can be added.
Put the two lists side by side and two things stand out. First, they overlap. A runny or blocked nose, sneezing, cough, headache and tiredness appear in both. One symptom alone settles nothing.
Second, some items appear in one list only. An itchy nose and itchy, watery eyes belong to hay fever in the Allergy Information Service list. IQWiG does not count eye symptoms among the typical cold symptoms. A sore throat and a mild fever belong to the cold there. Fever is not on the Allergy Information Service's hay fever list.
Duration differs too. According to IQWiG, a cold usually clears up on its own after 1 to 2 weeks. The NHS says hay fever can last for weeks or months, unlike a cold. IQWiG writes that pollen hay fever symptoms occur only during pollen season.
When that season falls depends on the plant. The pollen hazard index of the German Weather Service (DWD) covers eight of the pollen types that matter most for allergies in Germany: hazel, alder, ash, birch, grasses, rye, mugwort and ragweed. It writes that the pollen season now often starts in January or February. In very mild winters it starts even in December. The NHS says symptoms in the UK are usually worse between late March and September.
Not every hay fever follows the pollen calendar. If you react to house dust mites, animal hair or mould, symptoms often occur all year, according to the Allergy Information Service. IQWiG describes house dust allergy as a year-round problem. Its symptoms are usually milder than hay fever symptoms.
Why hay fever affects more than your nose
A cold can leave you tired, and so can hay fever. IQWiG lists tiredness among the cold symptoms. The Allergy Information Service lists tiredness, headache and loss of appetite for hay fever. A blocked nose appears on both lists.
So the night is worth a look. Did your nose disturb your sleep? For how many nights in a row? Note it in the morning while you remember. A cold usually passes after 1 to 2 weeks. If a blocked nose lasts longer, raise it at the appointment.
Sleep and hay fever shows how to put your Apple Health sleep data next to your symptoms.
Think about the lungs too. IQWiG writes that allergic asthma can develop from hay fever after some years. The Allergy Information Service names a dry, irritating cough and a burning feeling behind the breastbone as possible signs that the lower airways are involved. Bring a cough or shortness of breath up with your doctor. Severe or sudden shortness of breath is an emergency: call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US).
When to see a doctor and what happens next
The family doctor's office is usually the first point of contact, says IQWiG. For a cold, IQWiG names high fever, severe or worsening symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath or breathing problems as reasons to seek medical advice. The NHS advises seeing a GP if hay fever symptoms are getting worse. If your symptoms last longer than a cold usually does, or return every year at the same time, mention it at the appointment.
The Allergy Information Service describes how a doctor's office clarifies hay fever:
- Conversation (anamnesis): Do parents or siblings have allergic diseases? In which months do the symptoms occur? How exactly do they show?
- Skin prick test: For hay fever, a skin prick test is usually done.
- Blood test: If needed, a blood sample is checked for specific IgE antibodies.
The Service also describes an allergy diary. In it you note the time, duration and circumstances of your symptoms. Start noting these before the appointment, so you do not have to answer from memory.
Log your hay fever days in Sam and take a report to the allergist
In the Hay fever program you rate each day in one tap, and Sam turns your entries into a report for the allergist.
- Instead of memory: when your symptoms started, how strong they were and how long they lasted are on record, with optional detail on nose, eyes, sleep and daytime impact.
- Instead of a paper diary: if you share your approximate location, that day's pollen index and air quality are added to the entry.
- Instead of a simple tracker app: the report covers the period you pick, and a short symptom check-in comes once a month.
The program starts once a doctor has diagnosed hay fever.
Try Sam HealthSam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or health state. Always consult qualified professionals for medical decisions.
Sources
Updated: October 2026
- Allergieinformationsdienst: Heuschnupfen, accessed 2 October 2026
- Allergieinformationsdienst: Heuschnupfen, Symptome, accessed 2 October 2026
- Allergieinformationsdienst: Heuschnupfen, Diagnose, accessed 2 October 2026
- IQWiG, gesundheitsinformation.de: Heuschnupfen, updated 31 May 2023
- IQWiG, gesundheitsinformation.de: Erkältung, updated 31 October 2023
- German Weather Service (DWD): Pollenflug-Gefahrenindex, accessed 2 October 2026
- NHS: Hay fever, last reviewed 21 March 2024
More on Hay Fever
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell a cold from hay fever?+
Look at cause, duration and timing. IQWiG, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, says a cold is caused by various viruses and usually clears up on its own after 1 to 2 weeks. The NHS says hay fever can last for weeks or months. The German Allergy Information Service lists a runny nose, an itchy nose, frequent sneezing and itchy, watery eyes as hay fever symptoms. A doctor's office clarifies what is behind your symptoms.
How long does hay fever last?+
That depends on the trigger. With pollen, symptoms occur only during pollen season, according to IQWiG. The NHS says hay fever can last for weeks or months. If you react to house dust mites, animal hair or mould, symptoms often occur all year, according to the Allergy Information Service. A cold usually clears up after 1 to 2 weeks, says IQWiG.
Can I tell on my own whether I have hay fever?+
You can write down when symptoms occur and how long they last. Whether it is hay fever and what you react to is for the doctor's office to clarify. According to the Allergy Information Service, the doctor asks, among other things, in which months the symptoms occur. A skin prick test usually follows. If needed, a blood sample is checked for specific IgE antibodies.
Can hay fever lead to asthma?+
IQWiG writes that allergic asthma can develop from an allergic rhinitis after some years. The Allergy Information Service names a dry, irritating cough and a burning feeling behind the breastbone as possible signs that the lower airways are involved. Talk to your doctor about a cough or shortness of breath.
When should I see a doctor?+
The family doctor's office is usually the first point of contact, says IQWiG. For a cold, IQWiG names high fever, severe or worsening symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath or breathing problems as reasons to seek medical advice. The NHS advises seeing a GP if hay fever symptoms are getting worse.
Can hay fever start in winter?+
The German Weather Service writes that the pollen season now often starts in January or February, and in very mild winters even in December. Triggers such as house dust mites can also cause symptoms all year, according to the Allergy Information Service.
Can an app tell me whether it is a cold or hay fever?+
No. Sam does not diagnose. In the Symptoms area you log what you notice, each with a severity. Sam keeps it day by day. At the appointment you can show when symptoms started and how long they lasted.