Having your medicine cabinet well-stocked can save you a lot of time and hassle in the event you get sick unexpectedly. While you’ll never be able to predict every illness you might encounter, here are 6 items that you’ll always be glad to have available.
Painkillers
For anything from fevers to headaches and injuries, common over-the-counter pain relievers like paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin can provide effective relief from many symptoms. As a result, they are a must for any medicine cabinet. In some instances, ibuprofen and paracetamol can be taken in conjunction with each other, providing the products you are taking have no other active ingredients. However, aspirin and paracetamol should not be taken together. In addition, while they can be a useful tool for pain relief, it is important to only use them as prescribed on the product packaging.
Wound Dressing
If you are suffering from a wound or chronic condition such as a leg ulcer, you may find that bandages alone are not sufficient to provide relief for your injured area. In these instances, you may also want to apply a dressing that also provides pain relief and assists in the healing process. Many options exist for those looking for such a product. Mepilex dressing, for example, is designed to provide an optimal healing environment for wounds while also minimizing patient pain.
Anti-bacterial Cream
Often the worst part of a bite or a cut is not the injury itself, but more the risk of infection that comes along with them. To this end, having some anti-bacterial cream handy in case of a cut or bite can be a useful way of minimizing your chances of it worsening. For larger cuts or bites, you may still wish to consult a doctor, however.
Tweezers
Tweezers may not be the first thing you think of when you think about medical supplies, but they can actually be a useful tool in this area. While you may know that tweezers are handy for removing splinters and other narrow, sharp objects from your skin, they are also the perfect tool to remove ticks if you ever find one on you. Having some tweezers to hand can save you a lot of trouble in the event of a tick, as they can be difficult to remove, otherwise.
Sunscreen
Unless you live in a very specific part of the world, you can usually benefit from having some sunscreen in supply. Sunscreen is important both for preventing sunburn and for providing relief from it. Typically, anything over SPF 30 will be suitable for all but the hottest environments.
Antihistamines (Allergy Medication)For minor allergy symptoms, antihistamine medication can be a useful product to provide relief from itchy eyes, noses, skin, and swelling. Common antihistamine drugs include loratadine and cetirizine, and can be taken orally or nasally. Those looking to avoid the drowsiness side-effect of certain antihistamine drugs should avoid any product containing diphenhydramine. This is most