The fall is approaching and you’re a bit under the weather, sneezing, coughing and generally feeling lethargic. Is it a cold, COVID-19, the flu or fall allergies?

The first question to ask yourself, says Dr. Manav Segal, a board-certified allergist and immunologist and owner of Chestnut Hill Allergy and Asthma Associates in Wyndmoor, is, do you remember feeling this way last fall? If so, you most likely have fall allergies.

“Ragweed pollen started rising in mid-August and it is going to peak in mid-September before levels start coming down,” he says.

Symptoms can sometimes make it difficult to differentiate a cold, COVID-19 or flu from allergies. One clue is duration. A cold, Segal says, usually lasts five to seven days.

“Allergy symptoms will last for weeks,” he says.

Colds, COVID-19 and flu usually present with a fever, severe body aches and sometimes gastrointestinal issues are more consistent with viral infections versus allergies, according to Segal. Allergies may leave you feeling congested and rundown, but are not usually associated with a fever.

Now that you know what you’re dealing with, the sooner you address your allergy symptoms, the easier it will be to manage them. Segal offers the following tips:

• The best time to begin treating allergy symptoms is when they first appear. “The sooner you start allergy medications, the easier it is to manage symptoms,” he says.

• Ragweed pollen tends to be highest during the hottest part of the day and is particularly bad on warm, sunny or windy days. So keep an eye on the pollen count and plan your outdoor activities accordingly.

• In the car, keep the windows up and use the air conditioner to filter the pollen and minimize your exposure. That goes even on a beautiful, cooler day.

• When you get home, change your and your children’s clothes to help reduce indoor sensitivity. Shower or bathe to wash away pollen on your body. Pets can have pollen on their fur, so keeping them clean can be helpful.