More than half of all adults and children test positive for at least one allergen—and more than 50 million people regularly suffer from runny noses, watery eyes, recurring headaches and fatigue. When your immune system overreacts to an allergen—something that would be harmless under normal circumstances—allergies are the result. Whether you, or your students, are allergic to plant pollen, dust mites, mold, pet dander or other irritants, you can reduce your exposure to allergens and minimize your reaction with the following 10 tips:

1. Pay attention to how you clean. Avoid aerosol sprays because they can be irritating. Instead, skip the cleaning products and use a moist cloth or electrostatic fabric duster to pick up the dust mite allergen that accumulates on hard surfaces. Cleaning the bathroom? “Use something simple like a diluted bleach solution,” recommends James L. Sublett, M.D., section chief of pediatric allergy at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and managing partner of Family Allergy and Asthma.

2. Reduce humidity. Dust mites, like mold, thrive in high levels of humidity. Keep your indoor humidity below 50 percent to prevent mold growth. Get rid of your humidifier, and in damp areas like the bathroom or basement, use a dehumidifier.

3. Run the AC. “If you turn on the air conditioning and close your windows, you’ll cut down indoor pollen counts by 90 percent or more,” says David Lang, M.D., head of the Allergy/Immunology Section and co-director of the Asthma Center at Cleveland Clinic. “Air conditioning also reduces indoor humidity—and exposure to mold spores.” Leave the fan on to filter the air and remove particles that may trigger allergies and asthma. Just make sure to get your heating and cooling systems inspected every six months—and change the filter every one to three months.

4. Get smooth surface floors. “Carpet acts as a reservoir for allergens and when you stir it back up (by cleaning, vacuuming or even walking across the carpet) you release the allergens back into the air,” says Sublett. “If you have severe dust mite allergies, remove carpet in your home, especially in the bedroom. Most people sleep six to eight hours a night, so you’re spending a third of your life in bed.” If you can’t go carpet-free, use a central vacuum or a vacuum with a HEPA filter regularly. Just know it takes about two hours for the dust to settle back down.

5. Wear a mask. When you are vacuuming, dusting or mowing the lawn, tiny, invisible particles in the air can evade the body’s filtering mechanisms and penetrate deep into lung tissue. “If you wear a particulate mask when you’re cleaning or doing yard work, you can reduce your exposure to fine particulates and allergens by about 95 percent,” says Sublett. While the Centers for Disease Control recommends a N95 particulate mask for flu avoidance, you can also use this mask to help avoid allergens. They are available at hardware stores or amazon.com, or Prevention recommends sites such as allergyzone.com, fluarmour.com or fast-rescue.com. 

6. Beware of pets. Even if you aren’t a pet-owner, studies show that pet dander can be found in homes and classrooms where pets don’t reside. “People carry pet dander on their clothing,” says Lang. “Vacuum dust from classrooms show that the highest level of cat allergens are in classrooms where kids own pets.” Exposure to pet dander cannot be avoided, but you can minimize it by cleaning the air with a HEPA air cleaner (available at sites such as allergyzone.com).

7. Encase mattresses and pillows with “mite-proof” covers. “Plastic encasings are really uncomfortable, but now there are woven encasings that will prevent the mites from moving back and forth across the barriers,” says Sublett. And wash all bed linens regularly using hot water (over 130 degrees) to kill dust mites and eggs.

8. Remove food. Cockroaches feed on the same stuff we do. Not surprisingly, cockroach allergen is most common in the kitchen area because of food debris. Controlling food sources will, consequently, reduce the cockroach population. In addition, spoiled foods contain mold. Emptying the garbage daily reduces indoor mold exposure.

9. Treat your symptoms. The four most common symptoms of allergy are congestion, drainage, sneezing and itching, claims Lang. Over-the-counter and prescription medications, including intranasal steroid sprays, decongestants and antihistamines, can help manage these bothersome symptoms.

10. Get allergy shots. If your allergy symptoms don’t respond to allergy medications or avoidance measures, allergy shots are the next appropriate intervention, claims Lang. “Allergy shots encourage changes in how the immune system responds to allergens.” And in most cases, allergies will dissipate over time to the point where you no longer need medications or shots.

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