The Essential Home Clinic

Today we'll be reviewing some things that everyone should have in their home or business as part of an essential home healthcare kit. All of the stuff listed here can generally be found in any pharmacy or department store. Pretty straightforward, really.

One quick note about pharmaceuticals: This is one place where the extra money doesn't actually buy a better product the vast majority of the time. Don't worry about the brand name that you're buying- instead, pay attention to the drug facts on the bottle or box. You should look on there for the 'Active Ingredients' list, which will list the generic name of the drug (which will be the same for any one drug no matter who makes it, as it's the assigned name from the US Pharmacopeia). You should ALWAYS read the full label and make sure to ask a pharmacist if something isn't clear to you or if you've got a question.

Ibuprofin, 200mg- This is one of those drugs that has one-hundred-and-one uses. Ibuprofin is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammitory Drug (NSAID), which alleviates pain and reduces swelling, fever, and inflammation by a process that would probably make you immediately lose all interest forever if I tried to explain it. Now, because it is an NSAID, it can interact with certain drugs (even over-the-counter ones), and you may want to avoid it if you have certain illnesses, so it's best to consult with a pharmacist if you're taking a prescription, plan on taking an Over-The-Counter drug with it, or if you're not sure it's okay to take with your condition. Ibuprofin typically comes in the form of 200 milligrams per pill, and you can take up to 2 pills (400 mg) at a time (which is every 4 to 6 hours). Ibuprofin is just about useful for anything, from insect bites and stings to sore throats to fevers, poison ivy, and stubbed toes. Of course, if you have a fever, you should always make a doctor's appointment right away. Ibuprofin has an edge over acetaminophin (tylenol) products in that you can take it without worrying about it deep-frying and then devouring your liver. However, it can be bad for your GI tract if you take it for too long, and you should also avoid taking it if you drink a lot of alcohol, have a history of ulcers or GI disease, or take aspirin regularly. Given all of the above, if Ibuprofin is right for you, you should make a conscious effort to always keep a bottle (or two- one in case you have to take one with you) of it in the house.

Aspirin, 325 mg- Aspirin is useful for pain relief, fever reduction (IN ADULTS ONLY!), and for preventing (in regular low-dose therapy) and reducing the effects of a heart attack. If you're over 50 and/or have risks for stroke or heart attack, you might consider talking to your doctor about beginning a low-dose aspirin regimen, which may dramatically reduce your risk of serious injury or death from a heart attack. You should always keep a bottle of it in the house or business, which may prove handy should you or someone else experience the classic heart attack symptoms. If you have to take or give aspirin for crushing chest pain and/or other classic heart attack symptoms, you should always call 911 right away, and you should also write down or be sure of how many aspirin you've taken so that EMS knows. It isn't safe to drive yourself- there have been documented cases of vehicular crashes due to cardiac victims attempting to drive themselves to the hospital. You should also always consult a doctor before giving a child aspirin, as it can lead to some very serious problems- it's generally safer to use ibuprofin instead for children. Also, beware, extensive and long-term use of Aspirin can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding, so if you like your alcohol or have GI disease, aspirin isn't for you.

Diphenhydramine HCL (Benadryl), 25 mg- Benadryl is another drug that's useful for a thousand and one different situations. Stung by a bee? Sinus infections or flu-nose giving you a hard time? Got in some poison ivy? Benadryl is useful for suppressing rashes, itchy/watery eyes, inflammation, runny noses, and generalized allergic reactions. You can take one to two pills (25-50 mg), depending on how bad your symptoms are, though the dosage is different for children (12.5-25 mg, generally). Now, do be aware that benadryl can make you pretty drowsy, so unless you're familiar with the specific side effects you experience on benadryl, you should cancel plans to operate motor vehicles, heavy machinery, or do anything that might turn out to be dangerous should you nod off.

Overall, you might be able to find an over-the-counter drug for just about any common ailment, and the best way to do that is to consult with the in-store pharmacist, who will be able to point you to the right drug, right dose, and the right course of treatment, or refer you to a doctor if need be. Don't forget to be SAFER (see the first post) and ask the pharmacist if you've got any questions or are already on other pharmaceutical drugs.

That's all for now folks. I'm now accepting requests and questions, so, please, feel free to leave them in the comments following this post.