For several months, Xiaoming woke up early in the morning with sneezing and runny nose a few days a month, and it got better soon after noon, sometimes several times a month. Xiaoming’s mother thought that Xiaoming often had a cold and his resistance was too poor, so she took the child to the hospital to have his immune function checked, but the doctor at the hospital suggested that the child should have an allergen test instead of an immune function test, which made Xiaoming’s mother very confused. In fact many children often have symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose and sneezing, parents often think it is a cold, but some children are not cold, but may be allergic rhinitis, so how do we distinguish between these two common diseases? First, we understand the characteristics and knowledge of these two diseases. The common cold is divided into the common cold and influenza. The common cold, which is often referred to as the common cold, is actually an acute upper respiratory tract infection (epiglottis or cold). The upper respiratory tract mainly includes the nose, throat, larynx and tonsils, so the so-called upper cold is mainly acute rhinitis, and part of the pharyngeal tonsillitis. The vast majority of upper respiratory infections start as viral infections, with a small percentage of pharyngitis caused by bacteria or mycoplasma. Children with colds start with sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion, which may be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite and poor mental health because of the infection. Allergic rhinitis, on the other hand, is caused by allergic sensitization to allergens, and the symptoms are recurrent, sometimes mild and sometimes severe, and usually last for more than two weeks, with symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose and itchy nose often occurring in similar seasons and environments, for example, in spring or summer when plants are in bloom, or when they come into contact with small animals such as cats and dogs, and the symptoms appear quickly (within a few minutes), but they are also relieved quickly. The child is generally well, without fever, decreased appetite and other symptoms. Xiao Ming has frequent nasal symptoms that appear early in the morning every year and disappear after a while, without systemic symptoms. He is considered to have nasal allergy caused by allergy to indoor antigens – mites or molds – and should undergo allergen testing to confirm the diagnosis. In addition, many family members of children with allergic rhinitis have the same allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, asthma and other allergic diseases. What is mentioned above is a simple distinction between these two diseases. Some children with poor health may have frequent nasal symptoms every spring that last longer and cannot be distinguished from cold and allergic rhinitis simply by symptoms and time. For such children, parents should take their children to the hospital, and some of them may need allergen tests, and only after the diagnosis is confirmed can the correct treatment be given. For cold and allergic rhinitis treatment, there is a big difference between the two diseases. Colds generally only require more rest, more water, and easily digestible, vitamin-rich foods. Children with a fever over 38.5°C can take oral antipyretics or just need warm towels to wipe their bodies, and rarely need other medications. The treatment of allergic rhinitis is usually medication, which can be used according to the condition, such as antihistamines and nasal hormones, and also herbal medicine. Children with clear allergens can also be treated with specific immunotherapy. Since some children with allergic rhinitis may have asthma in the future, or some children already have asthma. In addition, children with allergic rhinitis sometimes have severe symptoms that can interfere with sleep and class, and some may cause otitis media. Therefore, once allergic rhinitis is diagnosed, it should be treated regularly. During the days when there are symptoms, visit the hospital in time and use the medication under the above guidance; in addition, it should be noted that some medications have side effects, and after a period of treatment, usually two weeks, another visit should be made to adjust the type and dosage of medication. It is important to achieve the therapeutic effect while paying attention to the safety of medication. In daily life parents, they can pay attention to what factors are related to their children when symptoms appear, such as season, weather, exposure to objects, etc., and take good notes to provide reliable information to achieve the ideal treatment and prevention of allergic rhinitis.