| |
It is that time of year again, the sniffles
have begun, the festive spirit is only dampened by the
indigestion and hangover of the next day. It is time
to air out the medicine cabinet in preparation for the
winter season ahead. The Consumer Health Information
Centre advises some key medicines to keep at hand to
get you through the winter months and some handy tips
to ensure you are using them safely and getting the
most out of your medicine.
Winter Medicine
Cabinet
|
Symptom
|
What you need
|
|
Pain, fever & headaches
|
The three most common remedies for
pain, fever & headaches are paracetamol, aspirin*
or ibuprofen. Aspirin (Note: aspirin should not
be used in children or teenagers under 16 years
old) & ibuprofen also have anti-inflammatory
properties. |
|
Cough
|
There are a wide range of cough medicines
available. Ensure you get the right variant for
your type of cough. A common ingredient for chesty
coughs is guaifenesin and for a dry cough is dextromethorphan
hydrobromide |
|
Sore throat
|
Sore throat relief comes in the form
of lozenges, pastilles & sprays (sometimes containing
local anaesthetics such as benzocaine) as well as
traditional pain relief remedies. |
|
Runny Nose
|
The most common therapies for runny
nose can be taken orally as a tablet or as a liquid.
Ingredients include antihistamines doxylamine succinate,
diphenhydramine HCl, chlorphenyramine maleate. |
|
Blocked Nose
|
There are several decongestants
available beyond the traditional aromatic oil
based products. Decongestants are generally taken
orally as a tablet and include ingredients such
as pseudoephedrine hydrochoride, OR topically
by spraying or inhaling the remedy into the nose
where common active ingredients include xylometazoline
or oxymetazoline HCL
|
|
Indigestion
|
- If suffering from heartburn or excess acid:
antacids will neutralise any excess acid in
the stomach giving fast relief, alginates lie
on top of the contents of the stomach, stopping
acid from rising up into the oesophagus and
acid reducers actually stop the stomach from
producing too much acid.
- A bloated, full feeling can be combated with
motility restorers, that help the stomach to
start moving normally again, allowing food to
pass out of the stomach and into the intestine
at the right speed.
- The best approach for trapped wind is the
use of antiflatulents which release trapped
wind in the stomach by combining small air bubbles
to make larger ones that the body can get rid
of more easily.
|
|
Dry, cracked skin or lips
|
There are a wide range of emollient
creams and skin protectants, such as paraffin or
petroleum jelly based products available, which
will give quick relief and prevent soreness due
to skin or lips being dried out. |
If you have children, there are children's
variants for most of these medicines, just ask you pharmacist.
Cleaning out your medicine
cabinet
- It's easy to stock up on medicines and remain faithful
to that bottle or tub at the back of your medicine
cabinet for years, after all they have always served
you well, but have you checked the expiry date, it
could be out-of-date. Why does it matter?
- In order to sell a medicine, the manufacturer has
to prove to the regulatory authorities that the medicine
is still of high quality and safe at the end of its
expiry date through lots of stability tests. After
this date you have no guarantees.
- Many of your medicines may no longer work as well
after the expiry date. For example, the aromatic oils
in rubs can escape into the air over time or the active
ingredient, which is the ingredient that provides
symptom relief, can slowly degrade rendering it ineffective.
This will mean you aren't getting the best symptom
relief from your product any more.
- Bacterial growth. Many products have chemicals added
to prevent bacterial growth over the shelf-life of
the product. However, if you use the product beyond
its shelf-life this system may no longer be providing
this protection.
- Some product ingredients can separate over time.
Some you have to shake well before use every time
and they seem to re-mix well. However, after a number
of years, past the expiry date, this re-mixing may
no longer work and it means your body might not absorb
the medicine so well making it less effective.
- Finally, it is important you read your label every
time you use your medicine. Your condition (e.g. if
you are suffering from high blood pressure, during
pregnancy) and other medicines you are taking, even
herbal medicines you are taking can impact if you
can use the medicine safely and effectively (e.g.
did you know St. John's Wort reduces the effectiveness
of emergency hormonal contraception). As we learn
more about medicines, labels and information leaflets
are updated, so by keeping a medicine beyond its expiry
date you are risking not having the most up-to-date
information.
|
