Your medicine cabinet

Sunita Behl of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain explains the essential medicines that your medicine cabinet should contain. This list is not exhaustive, but will help you deal with most minor ailments.

Pain relief
Painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen are highly effective at providing relief from most minor aches and pains, such as headaches and menstrual pain. Aspirin must not be given to children under 16.

These medicines will also help with some minor ailments, such as the common cold, by reducing aches and pains and high temperature.

As well as reducing pain, these three medicines also help to reduce the inflammation present in arthritis and sprains.

Antihistamines
These are useful for dealing with allergies and insect bites, and they're a must if you have hayfever.
Antihistamines can come in the form of creams that you apply to the skin (topical antihistamine), or tablets that you swallow (oral antihistamine).

Antihistamine creams will help soothe insect stings and bites, and rash and itching from stinging nettles.
Antihistamine tablets will help to control hayfever symptoms, and calm a minor allergic reaction to a food. They can also help to calm itchiness during chickenpox.

Some antihistamines may cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about this: pharmacists may be able to provide antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness.

Oral rehydration salts
Fever, diarrhoea and vomiting make us lose water and essential minerals, and can lead to dehydration.
If you have these symptoms and can't continue with your normal diet, oral rehydration salts can help restore your body's natural balance of minerals and fluid. This helps to relieve the discomfort and fatigue you feel with this illness. They don't do anything to fight the underlying illness that is causing you to be ill, which may be caused by a virus or bacteria.

Rehydration salts, available at your local pharmacy, are an easy way to take in minerals and fluid, aiding your recovery.

Anti-diarrhoea tablets
Diarrhoea is caused by a range of things, such as food poisoning or a stomach virus (see gastroenteritis in Useful links), and can happen without warning. That means it is a good idea to keep an anti-diarrhoea medicine in the home. Anti-diarrhoeal remedies can quickly control the unpleasant symptoms of diarrhoea, although they will not deal with the underlying cause.

The most common anti-diarrhoeal is loperamide (sold under the names Imodium, Arret and Diasorb, among others). It works by slowing down the action of your gut.
Don't give anti-diarrhoeals to children under 12, because they may produce undesirable side-effects.

Speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice about a child with these symptoms.

Indigestion treatment
If you have stomach ache, heartburn or trapped wind, a simple antacid will reduce stomach acidity, and help bring relief. It's ideal to have handy after a celebration or party.

Antacids come as chewable tablets, or as tablets that dissolve in water or in liquid form.

Sunscreen
Keep a lotion with a factor of at least 15. Even brief exposure to the sun can cause sunburn increasing a risk of skin cancer. Ensure that the suncreen you use provides UVA protection.

You can protect yourself further against the sun by wearing a hat and sunglasses, and by avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 3pm.

First aid
As well as the medicines discussed above, keep a well-prepared first aid kit. This can help you treat minor cuts, sprains and bruises, and can reduce the risk of cuts becoming infected. It should contain:

 Bandages: can be used to support injured limbs, such as fractures or sprains, and also to apply direct pressure to larger cuts before getting them treated in hospital

 Plasters: a range of sizes, waterproof if possible

 Thermometer: digital thermometers that you put in your mouth produce very accurate readings. A thermometer placed under the arm, or a temperature strip placed on the forehead, are the easiest ways to read a baby's temperature

 Antiseptic: can be used to clean cuts before they're dressed (bandaged). Most can also treat a range of conditions including insect stings, ulcers and pimples. Alcohol-free antiseptic wipes are useful to clean cuts

 Eyewash solution: will help to wash out grit or dirt that has got into the eyes

 Sterile dressings: larger injuries should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection, until treatment can be given by a health professional

 Medical tape: is used to secure dressings, but can also be used to tape an injured finger to an uninjured one, creating a makeshift splint

 Tweezers: for taking out splinters. If splinters are left in, they can cause great discomfort and become infected.

Remember, always follow the directions on medicine packets and information leaflets, and never exceed the stated dose.

Always keep medicines out of the sight and reach of children. A high and lockable cupboard in a cool, dry place is ideal. Regularly check the expiry dates. If you have a medicine that is past its use-by date, do not use it or throw it away. Take it to your pharmacy, where it can disposed of safely.