As springtime rolls in, many people will face sneezing, coughing, and runny noses, which could be the result of allergies, a cold, or even both. To help you tell the difference between the two, experts offer key signs of both, as well as ways to alleviate symptoms as the weather warms up. 

What are some signs of allergies?

According to  CDC, around a quarter of adults experience seasonal allergies. In the spring, seasonal allergies are often caused by tree pollen. People with seasonal allergies will typically have the same symptoms appear around the same time every year before they go away again.

Some symptoms of allergies include congestion, sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. If you have mucus in your nose, it is more likely to be thin and clear rather than thick and green or yellow. Itchiness in other areas, including your nose and ears, is also a sign that you're likely experiencing allergies.

"With allergies, itchiness is a big component, their eyes itch, their nose itches and there's a lot of sneezing too," said Troy Baker, a physician at  Kaiser Permanente.

Although sneezing can also be a sign of a cold, it is usually not a predominant symptom. With allergies, you may be sneezing a lot, but won't experience other symptoms, such body aches.

According to Baker, allergy season is now starting earlier and lasting longer due to climate change. In a recent report from Climate Central, researchers   found  that allergy season in the United States has increased by more than two weeks, with some areas, such as the Western United States, seeing increases of nearly a month.

"The trees are going to come out February to around June, grass is the next to come out," Baker said. "May is the big grass month, that's probably when it's going to be the worst this year."

Seasonal allergies can last between a few weeks or up to an entire season. Some potential treatments for allergies include antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays, and saline solutions.

What are some signs of a cold (or another virus)?

On average, an adult will get two to three colds every year, generally in the winter and spring, according to CDC. Other respiratory viruses, including the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus, are also circulating around this time.

Although allergy symptoms can share some similarities with symptoms of a cold or another virus, there are some key differences.

For example, Joyce Yu, a pediatric allergist immunologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said a fever is a "definite red flag" for an infection since it "never occurs with allergies."

Another potential symptom of a virus is body aches, particularly those that are more than just feeling a bit tired. "If you feel like a truck has run over you, that may be more because you're sick" with an infection rather than having allergies, Yu said.

Other symptoms include a sore throat and a severe cough. While both symptoms can also occur with allergies, they are more likely to be painful and persistent when caused by a virus. One exception to this severity rule, especially for coughs, is if you also have asthma alongside your allergies.

Unlike allergy symptoms, which tend to build up over time, symptoms of a virus typically develop within a few days. However, a cold or another viral infection will typically clear up more quickly than allergies, only taking a few weeks at best instead of an entire season.

According to William Schaffner, medical director of the  National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, one challenge with the various respiratory viruses circulating in the spring is that it's "nearly impossible to distinguish among these various viruses in individual patients."

"It's hard to say one patient has flu, the next one has RSV, the next one has human metapneumovirus, unless there happens to be a big outbreak in your community at that time," Schaffner said.

To reduce your risk of viral infection, health experts recommend practicing good hygiene and staying away from people who are coughing and sneezing since they may spread an infection.

In addition, Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, said it's important for people to isolate when they're contagious rather than going to work or school.

"The best thing we can do in the world, which we didn't really do before 2019, is stay home when we're sick," Gandhi said. (Seo, New York Times, 4/9; Bever/Chiu, Washington Post, 3/29; Yang, NBC Washington, 3/28)