Stock Your Medicine Cabinet the Right Way
Is your medicine cabinet ready for anything? What if you get the coronavirus? Here’s what you need to know.
Most of us have medicine cabinets that still contain the last two tablets of the flu medicine we desperately needed two years ago, three pain relievers we bought because we couldn’t find the first one when we needed it, the nasal spray we never really liked … you get the picture, and it isn’t pretty. Leftovers, products that didn’t work — they’re in there. And so are items so old we don’t want to know. And maybe, just maybe if we root around long enough, we can find the thing we need when we need it.
But this is one area where it’s not too hard, or too big a project, to clean up and prepare. First, start by emptying your cabinet completely. That’s right, take every last bottle, pill, and box out so you can wipe out the area. The next step, go through and throw out everything that is past its expiration date. What you’ll have when you’re done is a cabinet full of fresh products that will be ready and able to serve you for a long time.
Next, toss anything that you don’t use. You know the products: you tried them once and hated the taste, or how they made you feel, or the way they didn’t work. You should be left with a small amount of products you like that are well within their use-by date. That’s a great start! Now, you can fill in the “blanks” in the small arsenal of remedies that will come to your rescue should you get sick. To make sure we got the best, we used a team of doctors, nurses and pharmacists to recommend their go-to items.
Here, then, is what a well-stocked medicine cabinet might contain. Customize it for what you will use most often.
• Tylenol Regular Strength Pain Reliever (acetaminophen). Effective for headaches and fevers, acetaminophen has the added benefit of few drug interactions and a high degree of safety. With fever being a hallmark symptom of the coronavirus, this is your first line of defense, and it works on muscle aches and pain, too.
• Advil Coated Tablets (ibuprofen). Unlike acetaminophen, ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory and works on alternate pain pathways. Dentists recommend it for a temporary toothache, and ibuprofen is even better at killing muscle and body pain than acetaminophen. But it can cause gastro-intestinal upset. For optimal results, alternate the two drugs to reduce pain.
• Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough and Chest Congestion DM Non-Drowsy Liquid. When you get a cough, you want something that will let you sleep without being interrupted by fits of coughing and help you get rid of mucous.
• Zyrtec 24 Hour Allergy Relief Tablets. For fast allergy relief that doesn’t make you sleepy, try these highly recommended tablets that users swear by.
• Afrin (oxymetazoline). This topical nasal spray, used for congestion, can be a better option than taking a product such as Sudafed, especially for older adults. It has more of a local effect and less potential to aggravate heart/blood pressure issues than taking oral Sudafed.
• Visine Original Redness Relief Eye Drops for Red Eyes & Eye Irritation. The active ingredient, tetrahydrozoline, is an effective decongestant that will constrict blood vessels and leave you looking and feeling better fast.
• Zaditor Antihistamine Eye Drops. If itchy eyes are a problem, these drops will get down to the root cause. The medicine they contain is very similar to prescription drops, and it works fast. Keep another bottle in your car if you are prone to sudden onsets during allergy season.
• Pepto Bismol Liquid. It’s cheap and it works. Health professionals gave it the nod because it deals with multiple symptoms: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach and diarrhea. One product to treat a variety of complaints.
• MiraLAX Laxative Powder. For a different problem, try this gentle laxative that works with your body’s natural processes. “It’s relatively inert and not absorbed by the intestines,” says gastroenterologist Austin Chiang, who likes that it doesn’t lose its effect over time. You won’t get the bloating, cramping or sudden urgency caused by some other products.
• Tums Antacid Chewable Tablets. Heartburn goes away quickly after chewing up and swallowing these delicious tabs that come in a variety of flavors. Put a package in your purse or wallet for relief whenever and wherever you need it.
• Neosporin Original Antibiotic Ointment. Hands down the best germ-killer for minor cuts and scrapes. Three ingredients combine to give you protection and keep wounds moist for less scarring, and it doesn’t burn. If you’re one of the rare people with an allergy to this ointment, stick with bacitracin antibiotic alone.
• Solimo Melatonin 3mg. Can’t sleep? Melatonin supplements are natural, mimicking the hormone activity in your body. It’s non-addictive and won’t make you overly drowsy like some medications.
Source: Society of Certified Senior Advisors Blog: http://blog.csa.us/2020/10/health.html
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
