There was a brief, seven-year interval between getting my first cell phone and moving into nursing college when my group chats have been buzzing with fairly common conversations. As I entered my nursing college interval, my texts shortly went from, “OMG, Selena and Justin broke up,” to, “Must I get this mole checked out?” inside the blink of an eye fixed fastened. And with six years of emergency nursing beneath my belt, I’ve ceaselessly solidified myself as On-Identify Nurse of the group chat.
My notifications always seem to double all through chilly and flu season, and luckily, I’m well-versed in serving to my buddies actually really feel larger when frequent colds get them down. When summer season season entails an end and comes knocking, me and CVS Pharmacy are more likely to convey our relationship from casual to devoted, and my Extracare Card will get merely as so much 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 you could possibly presumably title a frequent flyer. Now might be the simplest time to refill on meds, dietary dietary supplements, cough drops, humidifiers, and further—listed beneath are the over-the-counter objects I always counsel that my associates have out there all through sick season:
Ache and fever meds
When issues, fevers, aches, and pains strike, I always attain for Advil (AKA certainly one of many frequent mannequin names for ibuprofen). Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory medicine that reduces ache attributable to irritation and reduces fevers, so I always have these out there from that time of the month to cold-and-flu season and previous (plus, these ones have a coating on them, which makes them truly certainly one of many greatest medicine to swallow).
If I’ve a fever or pains that the Advil isn’t single-handedly tackling, I’m most likely moreover leaning on Tylenol (AKA certainly one of many mannequin names for acetaminophen) for assist. Whereas they every battle ache and fever, they work in quite a few strategies and are cleared by completely completely different components of the physique. Because of this, you might take them once more to once more, which is important in case you’re feeling like crap. Since you might 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 system, you’re sustaining collectively along with your ache and fever discount nevertheless in a fashion that retains your Tylenol-to-Tylenol and your Advil-to-Advil doses six hours apart from each other. Breakthrough ache and fevers? Not at all heard of ’em.
An electrolyte substitute
I’m not good at hydrating on a wonderful day, nevertheless significantly when sick indicators are wreaking havoc on my spirits. In case you’re beneath the local weather and don’t have numerous an urge for meals, you may find yourself reaching to your emotional assist water bottle a lot much less. And in case you moreover happen to have a fever made full with an elevated respiratory cost and sweating, you most likely will need electrolyte substitute. After I’m sick, water offers me the ick, nevertheless after I pop a packet of this in my bottle, I do know that my water is inserting in extra work for me.
Immune assist
As with nearly all diseases in life, the simplest treatment is prevention, so come fall, I like to supply my immune system the TLC it deserves. I always go for one factor with vitamin C in it on account of it performs a vital place in immune properly being, nevertheless I significantly love this one from Airborne on account of it has 12 completely different dietary nutritional vitamins and minerals, along with Zinc, which helps to stimulate immune cells. These are moreover large easy to take on-the-go, which makes them good for journey or bringing in your morning commute.
A cough suppressant-expectorant combo
Even with my nursing expertise, I am no stranger to calling my mom in a decided plea for a long-distance hug and a med rec after I’m feeling sorry for myself. My mom utterly swears by Mucinex DM for everytime you’re in these horrible early phases of being sick, and also you wish to title in reinforcements to get just a few of that… mucus… up and out (sorry, women, there’s no demure approach to say it). It eases these dry coughing matches that don’t scratch the ground of chest congestion and makes the coughs that you just do have further productive. It lasts for 12 hours and doesn’t have any sneaky acetaminophen or ibuprofen in it, so it’s an unimaginable pairing to your Advil-Tylenol routine.
Allergy meds
One among my favorite video video games to play after I rise up with an sudden stuffy nostril is “Is it the flu or is it merely allergy signs?” For these of us who’re delicate to ragweed pollen, mildew spores, and grime mites, fall usually is a time for allergy signs and would possibly make discerning your indicators from illness harder than ever. To help administration plenty of the stuffy-nosed, watery-eyed noise, I always counsel that my associates maintain with their allergy meds to help protect these autumnal allergy signs at bay.
One factor that’ll work fast everytime you’re inside the trenches
On nowadays everytime you’re down unhealthy and want a med that’s going to do all of it, this fast-acting Alka-Seltzer Chilly and Flu state of affairs should do the trick. On account of it carries a mixture of 4 meds, it tackles the entire thing of chilly and flu indicators: nasal and sinus congestion, sneezing, runny nostril, cough, sore throat, headache, physique aches, and fevers due to it having acetaminophen in it. Merely dissolve it in 4 ounces of water and let it do its issue.
Cough drops
There’s nothing worse than wrapping up an prolonged day of hacking up a lung, solely to be met with a night of tossing and turning as you try to ignore that incessant tickle in your throat. And whereas I’ll take any sort of cough drop after I’m in a state of sickly desperation, the fact is that every one cough drops aren’t made equal. I want to go for cough drops that double as a cough suppressant and oral anesthetic like Ricola’s Pure Herb Cough Drops, which pack a punch. They’re my best-kept secret for soothing a cough and relieving an itchy, sore throat all through chilly and flu season. You’ll uncover these in my medicine cabinet, in my work bag, and on my nightstand after I need to get points beneath administration.
A cool-mist humidifier
For a lot of of my life, I on no account paid any ideas to relax mist humidifiers—that is, until I took my second nursing job in a pediatric emergency division. After finding out a lot of upon a lot of of discharge instructions that impressed dad and mother to help deal with the woes of chilly and flu season with a cool mist humidifier, I lastly broke down and talked about, “Constructive, I’ll give this issue a try.” So many chilly and flu indicators are made worse with dry air. Runny noses flip into crusty noses, already dry mouths flip into chapped lips, and mouth respiratory dry air can extra irritate sore throats. By together with moisture once more into the air while you’re sleeping, it’ll allow you to to a) skinny congestion as a approach to get it out further merely and b) avoid the worsening of indicators by the all-dreaded dry air.
Please search the recommendation of a well being care supplier or a properly being expert sooner than beginning any treatments, dietary dietary supplements, or medicines. Always search the advice of your physician or completely different licensed properly being provider with any questions you should have referring to a medical scenario. Not at all disregard expert medical suggestion or delay in looking for it on account of one factor you’ve got be taught on this text.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashley Selleke, RN, Branded Content material materials Managing Editor
After receiving her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, Ashley first pursued a career as an emergency division nurse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Whereas she liked the issue that bought right here with being on the frontlines of affected particular person care in high-acuity settings, her passion for storytelling has fueled her editorial career at The Everygirl since 2019.
*Flu footage obtainable when a licensed immunizer is on duty. Age restrictions apply. Eligible victims will not pay any copayments besides in every other case required by their plan, along with Medicare Half B. The Flu vaccine is at current obtainable at most CVS Pharmacy® and MinuteClinic® areas and isn’t any value with most insurance coverage coverage.
This submit is sponsored by CVS Pharmacy nevertheless all of the opinions inside are these of The Everygirl editorial board.