Are you still looking for something to do? By now you’ve probably figured out that doctors and dentists don’t want to see you unless you have a dire emergency.
Medical appointments have been cancelled. You can get a phone consultation and you can look things up on the internet, but a little know-how and the right tools may be all you need.
Back in the day our mothers were the primary caregivers. They did a darn good job; ask for help if you feel you are out of your depth.
Your project for this week is to clean out your medicine cabinet. Be ruthless. Throw away anything suspicious:
• All out-of-date medications
• Unlabeled medications
• Tubes of things that are cracked, leaky or hard
• Liquids that are sticky and look or smell funny
Is there anything left? Scrub the shelves and then think about what should be there.
• Medications prescribed by your physicians for chronic diseases or infections.
• Supplies needed to treat minor injuries (cuts and scrapes) and common illnesses (colds, flu, headache and indigestion).
• Band-Aids, unopened bandaging materials, ace wraps, ice packs, a thermometer, scissors, and tweezers.
Your home remedies should be inventoried often so that they will be available, fresh, safe, and effective when you need them.
You want to be able to lay your hands-on antibiotic ointments, anti-itch lotions or creams, antihistamines, OTC medications for headaches, muscle aches, joint pain, cold symptoms, stomach remedies and antidiarrheal medications. These items will get you through most days.
You may not know it but oral medications should not be stored in the bathroom. The heat and humidity from the bath or shower in a small bathroom can actually affect their potency. This means you need to come up with a new place to keep them. Select a closet or cabinet that is cool, dark, dry, and out of the reach of children.
You should be able to handle general aches and pains, small cuts and scrapes, mild cold and flu symptoms, stings, itches and burns, allergies and sinus problems at home, just like in the good old days.
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