Sat. Jun 14th, 2025

There was a fast, seven-year interval between getting my first cellphone and coming into nursing school when my group chats have been buzzing with fairly common conversations. As I entered my nursing school interval, my texts shortly went from, “OMG, Selena and Justin broke up,” to, “Must I get this mole checked out?” throughout the blink of a watch fastened. And with six years of emergency nursing beneath my belt, I’ve with out finish solidified myself as On-Title Nurse of the group chat.

My notifications on a regular basis seem to double all through chilly and flu season, and fortuitously, I’m well-versed in serving to my pals actually really feel greater when widespread colds get them down. When summer season includes an end and comes knocking, me and CVS Pharmacy are inclined to convey our relationship from casual to devoted, and my Extracare Card will get merely as lots movement as my AMEX. From the second I get my flu shot* to the hours I spend perusing aisles all through their Fall Wellness Event, I’m what chances are you’ll title a frequent flyer. Now’s the perfect time to refill on meds, dietary dietary supplements, cough drops, humidifiers, and further—listed below are the over-the-counter objects I on a regular basis recommend that my buddies have accessible all through sick season:

Ache and fever meds

When issues, fevers, aches, and pains strike, I on a regular basis attain for Advil (AKA one in all many widespread mannequin names for ibuprofen). Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory remedy that reduces ache attributable to irritation and reduces fevers, so I on a regular basis have these accessible from that time of the month to cold-and-flu season and previous (plus, these ones have a coating on them, which makes them really one in all many greatest tablets to swallow).

If I’ve a fever or pains that the Advil isn’t single-handedly tackling, I’m likely moreover leaning on Tylenol (AKA one in all many mannequin names for acetaminophen) for assist. Whereas they every struggle ache and fever, they work in quite a few strategies and are cleared by completely completely different components of the physique. As a result of this, chances are you’ll take them once more to once more, which is important once you’re feeling like crap. Since chances are you’ll take Advil every six hours and Tylenol every six hours, I want to take my Advil dosage first, Tylenol three hours later, Advil three hours after that, and once more to Tylenol three hours after that. With this technique, you’re sustaining collectively together with your ache and fever discount nonetheless in a method that retains your Tylenol-to-Tylenol and your Advil-to-Advil doses six hours apart from each other. Breakthrough ache and fevers? In no way heard of ’em.

An electrolyte different

I’m not good at hydrating on an outstanding day, nonetheless significantly when sick indicators are wreaking havoc on my spirits. Within the occasion you’re beneath the local weather and don’t have a variety of an urge for meals, chances are you’ll find yourself reaching to your emotional assist water bottle a lot much less. And once you moreover happen to have a fever made full with an elevated respiratory cost and sweating, you likely will need electrolyte different. After I’m sick, water offers me the ick, nonetheless as soon as I pop a packet of this in my bottle, I do know that my water is putting in extra work for me.

By

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *