Important Things To Keep In Your Medicine Cabinet
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Being properly prepared for the minor accidents and illnesses that may come up as a parent, means having a well stocked medicine cabinet, and noone wants to be running to the store late at night for something they could have had at home. To avoid the frustration of running out of supplies and being unable to provide assistance to your family, here are a few things you should check that you have in your medicine cabinet.
- Bandages and bandaids
Cuts and scrapes are a fact of life growing up but if they’re deep or in an easily irritated area then it’s important to cover them up to stop them getting infected. Keep a selection of bandages and band aids in a variety of sizes and shapes as well as some gauze and tape should something more serious need immediate attention. - Thermometer
A thermometer will help you decide if an illness can be treated at home or if you need to visit an emergency room. - Gastric medications
As a parent, one of the most common complaints from children is that they have a stomach ache and most of the underlying causes for this can actually be treated very easily. Keep antacids on hand to help with heartburn, have some constipation relief such as Movicol to keep things moving and some Immodium for diarrhea - Pain relief
For headaches, sore throats and other minor pain it’s important to have some pain relief medication such as paracetamol or ibuprofen on hand. If you have young children, it’s also important to have lower strength child friendly versions available. - Tweezers
Tweezers will always come in handy for removing splinters, thorns, bee stings and even ticks. Keep them clean and sterile and don’t mix and match them with those you use for cosmetic purposes. - Disinfectant ointment
To keep infection at bay, use a small amount of disinfectant or antibacterial ointment on cuts and scrapes. - Allergy medication
If your child or someone in your family has an allergy then always ensure that their allergy medication is well stocked in case they have a reaction. Even if no one in your family has an allergy it can be good practice to keep some antihistamines in the cabinet in case of hayfever or an adverse reaction to a bite or sting.
Other things to remember:
Keep your medicine cabinet and first aid box within easy reach of an adult but well out of reach from any inquisitive fingers. A medicine cabinet is only useful if it is regularly maintained, be sure to re-stock up on supplies frequently and to check the use-by dates of any medicines that have been in there for a while. One way to keep on track of what’s in your medicine cabinet is to make an inventory or a checklist and tape it to the inside of the door. Always store your medicines in a cool, dry place and never dispose of unwanted medication down the sink, in the toilet or by putting them in the bin. Take them to a pharmacy to dispose of them safely.
