Difference between allergies and a cold?

I can never tell whether I have a cold or a particularly bad case of seasonal allergies.

I've had on and off allergies the past few days due to high pollen count. They usually clear up but they do make me feel miserable -- itchy eyes, sneezing, stuffiness, sinus congestion, etc. Now, I just woke up today feeling terrible. I have a headache, body aches and chills, chest congestion, and sore throat. My nose isn't stuff though, which is unusual.

Sometimes I get really bad allergies and mistake it for a cold. Then it clears up within a day. Is there a clear-cut way to tell whether it's a cold or allergies? I hate the guesswork and don't want to take allergy medications if I have a cold.

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