It just a cold or is it hay fever, and how can you tell in the springtime?

May be difficult: Differentiating between the two issues symptomatically may be difficult. Have you had allergy reactions at this time of year previously? Do otc medications for allergies help your symptoms? Have you been around people with colds? If persists beyond several days to a week, more likely to be allergy.

Fever or itching?: There is no fever with hay fever; in the spring it is due to tree pollen not hay. If you have itchy nose, eyes then it is probably a pollen allergy; try an otc antihistamine (e.g. Allegra, zyrtec). If you have fever without itching then it is probaby a "cold" so take tylenol (acetaminophen) or asa for fever and otc sudafed 12 hour for stuffy nose (avoid sudafed with hbp, heart condition). If it persists see md.

Several ways: Colds have fever, chills, aches and yellow mucus. Allergies show clear mucus, no fever, little aches if any. Both could cause head congestion, sneezing and mucus drainage.