Paradoxically, the medicine cabinet is the worst place to store medications because heat and moisture can affect the their quality and effectiveness. It’s better to keep all medications outside of the bathroom a linen closet or a kitchen cabinet that is away from heat and out of the reach of children.
Always check with your pediatrician before administering any medication to children. For severe symptoms, bypass the medicine cabinet and go directly to your doctor or urgent care facility.
Items should be stored in your medicine cabinet for:
- Pain Relief, Fever and Inflammation
- Colds
- Seasonal Allergies and Allergic Reactions
- Digestive Problems
- Skin Problems (Cuts, Burns, Insect Stings and Bites)
(Click on the attached PDF for the complete list of items you should store in your cabinet.)
Also, keep these other tools in your medicine cabinet:Thermometer: For babies, rectal thermometers are most accurate. For children over the age of 3 it is safe to use an oral or ear thermometer. Mercury thermometers should not be used under any circumstances.
Magnifying glass and tweezers: To remove splinters and ticks. Be sure to sterilize tweezers before each use.
Chemical cold packs (Instant ice packs or cold compresses): Great to keep on hand to relieve minor pain and swelling for sprains, aches and sore joints.
Erica Cavallo-Olivo, MD, is a physician with CareMount Medical.
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