I have all the symptoms of a head cold without nasal congestion. Can this still be considered a head cold?

The short answer is yes.

A head cold is not a very clearly defined condition medically. The term has been coined because some cold symptoms do not necessarily reach the throat or lungs, leading to sore throats and coughs.

The main features of a head cold tend to be symptoms relating to the sinuses, ears and nasal passages, but as you say, these do not all have to be present at the same time.

Dr. Jen Tan