Anyone who works in emergency medicine develops a host of secrets and quick fixes for common problems. I’ve spent 25 years in this field, so I’ve built up an arsenal in that time.

Allergic reactions are among the most common medical problems we experience. Sometimes we know the cause, like hives that can develop after using a new soap. Sometimes, we have no idea why we are having that runny nose or sudden rash.

My arsenal for allergic reactions is a small stock of over-the-counter supplies that can be safely stored in the medicine cabinet. The secret is to use them together. When combined, they are highly effective.

If you or a member of your family is having an allergic reaction:

Use two histamine blockers.

• Benedryl (or Zyrtec) are both histamine receptors. But did you know there are two types of histamine receptors in the body? Benedryl or Zyrtec block only one of the histamine receptors.
• Use Benadryl in combination with Zantac. Zantac blocks the other histamine receptor. When both of the receptors are blocked by using Benedryl and Zantac together, the histamine affect is blocked much more completely. In some instances, Zantac alone is enough of a histamine blocker.

And you thought Zantac was only good for lowering stomach acid. Nope, that’s not its only power!