Over the counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that anyone can buy without a prescription. These drugs contain many essential medications that can treat various symptoms like fever, pain, nausea, headache, etc. Although the pharmaceutical industry is raving with new therapies including gene therapy, stem cell therapy, and cell therapy contract manufacturing, you should always have your basics covered! Here are the OTC medicines you should always have in your home or office cabinets and your first aid boxes.

1.   Analgesics – Pain Relief Medicines:

Doctors encourage you to keep various forms of pain relief medicines in your cabinet. NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) are the number one analgesics that everyone should have. NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.

 You should also keep topical pain relief medicines for severe pain. It includes diclofenac gel and lidocaine patches.

2.   Antihistamines – For Allergy:

Histamine is released when the body comes into contact with an allergen causing an allergic reaction. Antihistamines prevent the release of histamines and relieve the symptoms of allergic reactions. OTC antihistamines include Xyzal, Benadryl, Allegra, and Claritin.

3.   Digestion Issues and Acidity:

Digestive problems are quite common in the present age. Everyone should have antacids at hand. Antacids relieve heartburn almost instantaneously by preventing acid reflux from the stomach. In addition to heartburn, nausea is also a common problem. For nausea, bismuth salicylate is recommended.

4.   Common Cold:

It is important to not miss out on sleep if you have a cold because poor sleep makes the cold and flu worse. Cold and flu sleep aid like Mucinex Nightshift should always be at hand in such cases. In addition to sleep aid, your home cabinet should also contain cough syrups. Cough syrups are more of a soothing product than an actual drug containing medication.

5.   Woman Health:

PMS is a nightmare for most women and they don’t know what to do about it. PMS consists of symptoms like fatigue, bloating, mood swings and irritability. Midol Complete contains acetaminophen, caffeine, and antihistamine, and they work together to fight cramps, bloating, fatigue and other PMS symptoms. If you don’t have PMS, but want to make your periods easier, try meditation or essential oils.

6.   Cuts and Scrapes:

Small cuts and burns are an everyday thing and you should know how to deal with them at home. In case of a cut, clean the wound immediately and apply antibiotic ointment to prevent bacterial attack. You can clean the cut with hydrogen peroxide. You can find antibiotic and hydrogen peroxide cream easily over the counter in drugstores.

7.   Skin Care:

Ultraviolet radiations are very harmful for skin in the long run. Make sure to equip yourself with a good and medicated sunblock. You can also talk to a specialist to find out which sunblock suits you best. Apply a generous layer of sunblock every time you step out into the sun.

Take Away

It is always beneficial if your home or office is carefully equipped with all the important over the counter medicines in case of an emergency. There are many manufacturers and companies that provide the same medications (same salt) with different names. So fill up your medicine cabinets and first aid boxes NOW!