How To Stock Your Medicine Cabinet

Always be prepared with a stock of medicines in your medicine cabinet that can be used to treat minor illnesses or minor accidents at home or when you play sports. Before stocking medicines bought from a medical store, consult your doctor or pharmacist regarding the medicine brands recommended to be kept in your medicine cabinet. Herbal medicines can be stored as well.

Have a First Aid Kit for emergencies to treat bruises, minor cuts, and sprains. Your kit should contain:

• Thermometers: A digital oral thermometer for a more accurate temperature reading and a temperature strip or armpit thermometer for babies.
• Antiseptic: Hydrogen peroxide or alcohol-free antiseptic wipes to clean minor cuts and insect stings.
• Plasters or Band-Aids: Waterproof plasters and band-aids in varying sizes to cover small cuts and wounds.
• Sterile Dressings: Sterile pads or dressings to cover wounds and prevent infection.
• Bandages: For a fracture or sprain, bandages to support and keep the injured limb stable.
• Medical Tape: Medical tape to secure dressings of larger wounds and to make an alternative splint for small injuries.
• Tweezers: Handy tweezers to remove accidental splinters.
• Eyewash Solution: An eyewash solution for instant relief and to remove dirt or grit that accidentally enters your eyes.
• Burn Gel or Ointment: For minor burns, burn gel or ointment applied to relieve pain.

Stock your medicine cabinet with the following:

• For Pain Relief: Paracetamol, aspirin, and ibuprofen are effective painkillers for the immediate relief of most common minor aches and pains.
• Antihistamines: Oral antihistamines, tablets or pills help to stop hay fever symptoms, and solve itchiness or rashes from insect bites or minor allergic reactions to food. Topical antihistamines or creams like Hydrocortisone cream soothes rashes and itching from stings and bites of insects. For cough and colds, Benadryl, Nyquil, Robitussin and cough drops can be stored.
• Oral Rehydration Salts: Rehydration salts help restore the natural balance of body fluids and minerals, and relieve fatigue. Usually taken after continuous diarrhea, vomiting and fever may have dehydrated and drained your body of needed vitamins and minerals.
• Anti-diarrhea Tablets: Also known as loperamide, anti-diarrhea medicines like Diasorb, Imodium, or Arret, can remedy and relieve stomach discomfort from diarrhea caused by minor food poisoning or stomach flu.
• Indigestion Medicines: Heartburn or a simple stomach ache can be remedied by antacid tablets in dissoluble form or as a chewable tablet. Herbal alternative treatments can also help reduce acidity building in your stomach.
• Sunscreen: A 15 SPF sunscreen can provide protection against sunburn caused by brief sun exposure and helps provide UVA protection to prevent skin cancer.

Reminders

• Keep medicines out of reach of children and place your medicine cabinet in a cool, dry place.
• Do not store prescription drugs given by doctors in medicine cabinets.
• Check the expiration dates of your medicines regularly, and throw out medicines that have reached their expiration date.
• Do not place your medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Stored medications may lose their potency faster due to the changing temperature of the bathroom.