It's not those beautiful roses that make us scratch, sniff and wheeze. It's the pollen from trees, grasses and low-growing things like ragweed (ah choo!).

Here are some of the things you can do to ease your allergies:

1. Keep windows and doors closed.

If the pollen count in your area is high, stay inside, and also keep your windows and doors closed. Letting in the "fresh" isn't a good idea. Keep car windows rolled up, too.

2. When you come in from outside, if you've been exposed to allergens, take a shower and shampoo your hair.

This is one of the best things you can do, and one of the easiest. Take care of the kids in this respect also. A good shower at night keeps dander and other allergens off the pillows and sheets. Wash bedding frequently in good hot water with non-allergenic wash products.

3. When allergens are at their peak, stay inside.

This site ( http://www.pollen.com ) will tell you how your city is doing. Generally speaking, allergens are worse in the mornings. Stay inside on windy days, as that's when the pollen blows around. Pollen counts are gathered from (recently) past data, and it's know that when the wind is blowing, things are going to get worse for those of us with allergies.

4. Avoid fans because they circulate the air, especially that ceiling fan over your bed.

And be sure and clean the dust off those fan blades regularly. Think what you might be circulating.

5. Get your bedrooms more friendly.

You may not be able to allergy-minimize the whole house, but do start with the bedrooms. Remove anything that collects dust - curtains, drapes, stuffed toys, rugs, books, and, alas, Fido needs to sleep elsewhere. Use blinds and linoleum or tile for flooring. If you must have carpeting, make sure you vaccum and clean it regularly, and try and keep the children from playing on the floor. Carpets can really collect dog hairs and dander.

And speaking of Fido, best allergy-friendly choices for a dog are Maltese, bichon frise and poodle. For a cat, if you're allergic the best bets are the sphinx or the rex. (Source: Dr. Kross, DVM, http://familyfun.go.com/raisingkids/learn/activities/expert/petvetbestbreeds/petvetbestbreeds.html )

6. Avoid places where molds are.

This is typically the basement, lawn mowing, raking leaves and cleaning out gutters, use of humidifiers, and leaving clothes in the washing machine.

Don't let wet towels lie or hang around. Take care of plumbing and roof leaks immediately.

Don't be the first to open up the family cabin for the year; in fact don't rush into any place that's been closed-up for quite a while. If you use a tent for vacations, make sure you've aired it out well before the trip. Also beware of mold in refrigerated jams and jelly, and on cured, salty meats like ham, bacon and salami, certain cheeses. Don't sniff it, just throw it out. For more on mold and food, go here: http://food.oregonstate.edu/misc/mold.html .

7. Wash bedding frequently at a temperature of at least 130 degrees F. and use hypoallergenic covers for mattress, pillows and box springs. (Your bed is full of dust mites).