7 medicine cabinet must-haves
A medicine cabinet is your first line of defense when you experience pain and minor accidents at home. It is therefore important to have the appropriate medications and tools that will allow you perform a first aid before seeking immediate medical attention at an ER. It has been captured by frontlineer.com and other renowned ER facilities that a well-stocked ER can easily save you from agonizing pain as well as afford you the time you need to get specialized care and qualified medical opinion from a doctor. So what are the medicine cabinet must-haves?
Pain medication
Pain medication is the top priority you must have since it helps you manage the pain as you seek specialized medical care. The pain medication is basically for headaches, back pain, ankle sprain and such pains. Here, you can have the option to go for regular or extra strength pain medication depending on your preferences.
Aspirin is a versatile painkiller and the upside to having it in your medical cabinet is that it can also be used when you need to reduce fever.
Some individuals may point out that their bodies have a negative inclination to aspirin and a worthy alternative is Acetaminophen especially if you are on blood thinners.
Ibuprofen also stands as one of the most effective painkillers and is a must-have in your medicine cabinet.
A factor to take note of is that all these pain medications should be taken with some advice from a physician to avoid interference with the working of other medications. The idea is to make a consultation with qualified doctors and medical health providers like frontlineer.com to get advice on their viability.
Decongestion and cold medication
It is crucial that you have decongestion and cold medication in your medicine cabinet to curb the effects of colds and chest congestions. Pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine are popular decongestants but since products with pseudoephedrine need to be located behind the counter, it means you will need identification to buy and stock them.
Your medicine cabinet has to have some cold remedies and since they usually have antihistamines and cause drowsiness, you need to be careful with their use. Cough medicine including cough suppressant dextromethorphan work extremely well. It has to be noted however that a cough lasting more than a week should see you visit an ER to check for bronchitis or pneumonia.
Allergy medication
With allergies, their onset is usually immediate and in response to exposure which means having the medication at hand is a must. Antihistamines work best when it comes to allergies. Diphenhydramine, Chlorpheniramine and Clemastine are very effective when it comes to relieving you from sneezing and a running nose.
What’s more? You can also target some allergy eye drops, Benadryl and nasal spray for the varied allergy scenarios that may manifest.
Medication for digestive problems
It has been noted by frontlineer.com and other top ER centers that digestive problems have become a huge factor that people contend with which means having Calcium carbonate tablets ranks as one of the best decisions you can take. Calcium carbonate tums are effective in relieving heartburns, neutralizing the acid in the stomach and providing calcium which is seldom in the diets people take. With these medication, you also get to prevent stomach acid from irritating the esophagus which is crucial for avoiding discomfort.
Antacids and digestive medication will work on cases of indigestion, dyspepsia, viral illnesses, food poisonings and food intolerance affording you the time you need to rush to the nearest ER.
One aspect to note with mediation meant for constipation and diarrhea is that they have to be taken under supervision since the body can easily become dependent on them.
Medication for skin problems, rashes, itching and bug bites
With skin irritations and itching, you can choose to have Calamine lotion in your medicine cabinet which effectively soothes itching especially with bites and rashes. It is also instrumental in drying up rashes.
It is important to have Antihistamine cream that is very effective in relieving some intense itching including some cases of Dermatitis and mild eczema.
Cortisone is another skin medication that relieves a persistent itch that has not responded to other medications including the ones captured above.
Top ER practitioners including frontlineer.com have advised that you should also have Antifungal cream in your medicine cabinet to treat cases of athletes foot and jock itch.
Medication for cuts and burns
In your medicine cabinet, you need to have bandages, gauze pads and adhesive strips that are quite important when it gets to dressing cuts and burns. You can also opt to have some medical tape that is used to hold gauze pads in place.
Butterfly bandages also come in handy in healing a wound while ensuring there is minimal scarring.
Hydrogen peroxide is a must-have in your medicine cabinet as it is crucial when you need to clean wounds and the beauty is that it will definitely have less of a sting compared to alcohol.
Antibacterial and Antibiotic ointment that protect a wound and in some cases moisten a closed wound are important and most especially for minor burns.
Tools
While the core medications are in place, frontlineer.com reports that having the necessary tools to check for vitals and address some medical issues is equally important. A Thermometer to measure your temperature before and during the course of first aid, Tweezers to remove splinters in the respective cases involving the same and some cotton balls and swabs go a long way towards ensuring you are able to effectively take care of yourself before get to a medical facility.
