Health Knowledge Foundation
Berlin (ots)
The mild temperatures and the first rays of sunshine not only make you want to spend more time outdoors. The beautiful weather also motivates spring cleaning and mucking out in your own four walls. The medicine cabinet should not be forgotten either. It is not uncommon for it to contain empty medicine packs or medicines that have already expired. But which remedies belong in the first aid kit, how should medicines be stored at home and how should they be disposed of after the expiration date? The Health Knowledge Foundation provides information on this on its health portal.
A wasp sting on the arm, a cut with a kitchen knife or a headache when the weather changes: In order to treat minor wounds or alleviate temporary symptoms, it is advisable to have a supply of medication and bandages in the house. There are also things that don’t make you think of the first-aid kit, for example a pair of disposable gloves. You should check your medicine cabinet at least once a year.
You should have these resources handy
The first-aid kit should contain a mix of medicines, bandages and some tools. One medicine each for pain, fever, cold symptoms, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting should be part of the basic equipment in your medicine chest. A remedy for insect bites and one for minor burns and sunburn should not be missing either. In addition, if necessary, there is a stock of personal medication prescribed by the doctor for regular use – such as cholesterol inhibitors.
In order to be able to treat wounds quickly and professionally, it is advisable to have a basic set of bandages. This should consist of wound and adhesive plasters, bandage packets, germ-free wound compresses and bandages as well as fixing bandages, a triangular cloth and wound cleaning wipes.
A clinical thermometer, tweezers, scissors, disinfectant and disposable gloves should also be within reach in the medicine cabinet. For babies and children up to the age of six, the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) also recommends stocking up on pain-relieving and fever-reducing suppositories, wound and healing ointment and decongestant nose drops.
In order not to have to search long in an emergency, the medicine chest should also include the addresses and telephone numbers of important contacts such as the family doctor treating you, the pediatrician and important specialists.
Checklist: personal medicine cabinet
A complete overview of everything that belongs in the medicine chest and a checklist with which you can put together your personal medicine chest quickly and easily can be found on the health portal of the Health Knowledge Foundation:
Store medicines properly
Medicines should be stored in a dry and cool place and out of the reach of children. A lockable medicine cabinet, for example, is ideal for this. This should not be placed in the bathroom, near a heater or in a place exposed to direct sunlight. If possible, over-the-counter medicines should be kept separate from prescription medicines. Medicines for pets should be stored separately from the medicine chest to avoid mix-ups.
Discard expired medicines
If medicines have expired, they should be disposed of immediately – but never in the sink or toilet. Each municipality regulates how medicines are to be disposed of differently. The website provides information about the respective regulation in the place of residence arzneimittelentsorgung.de. Good to know: The shelf life of creams, ointments and juices can be reduced after opening. In order to keep an overview, it is advisable to note the opening date directly on the packaging. Bandages should also be replaced regularly, as they may no longer be sterile after the expiry date.
When to the doctor?
Not all injuries or complaints can be treated with your own medicine chest. In certain cases, medical assistance is required, e.g. B. when injuries bleed profusely or discomfort persists. If a situation is life-threatening, patients should call 911. In the case of severe, non-life-threatening symptoms, the medical on-call service on 116 117 will help at night, on weekends and public holidays, or your own family doctor during regular office hours.
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Original content from: Health Knowledge Foundation, transmitted by news aktuell