It's a test that every student and parent dreads. Second grader Ashlyn of Waco has had a tough year battling allergies.

"I can't breathe when I read," said Ashlyn.

Her allergy test will determine what she is allergic to, and one of the likely culprits is ragweed.

Recent rains have caused ragweed levels to shoot through the roof. It's a time of year when allergy problems increase, but Doctor N.J. Amar of the Allergy Asthma Center says it's just beginning.

"It's going to get bad. It's going to be like this for three months unless we have a freeze. It will be a long miserable season," said Amar.

To manage the sneezing and other allergy symptoms, Amar suggests limiting your time outdoors. The worst times of day for allergy sufferers are dusk and dawn. He also suggests wearing a mask while mowing the yard and bathing pets once a week.

If allergy symptoms become severe, see a doctor as soon as possible. Many of Amar's patients receive painless allergy shots to ease the symptoms.

Amar says that the ragweed season can last through November, or through the first freeze, but the most severe time for ragweed will be around the first of October.