Pulling back the curtain
Whether it’s the food in a nutritionist’s fridge, the mental health apps on a psychologist’s cellphone or the fitness routine on a personal trainer’s calendar, peeking into health professionals’ lives can reveal if and how they apply their own advice — and provide insight to patients looking to do the same. To find out how health experts react swiftly to common physical woes, U.S. News asked a handful of them to give us a look into their medicine cabinets. Here’s what we found:
NSAIDs
Sold as Advil, Motrin, Midol, Aleve and plain old ibuprofen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are staple pain-relievers in most American households — and those of health professionals are no exception. “Ibuprofen is great for muscle aches and pains, menstrual cramps, migraines and reducing fever,” says Dr. Jennifer Caudle, an assistant professor of family medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey. Just beware if you have heart, stomach or kidney issues, since NSAID use — which works by blocking chemicals that cause pain and inflammation — comes with added risk to those organs. In the 2017 U.S. News Top Recommended Health Products ranking, Advil took first place among oral anti-inflammatory products.
Acetaminophen
If you have your cabinet stocked with Advil, what’s the point of acetaminophen — aka Tylenol, Panadol or Anacin? Mainly, to combat pain via a different modality: by blocking pain signals to the brain, rather than at the sight of inflammation. “This ‘general’ pain relief medication is a bit of a wonder drug — it’s much more powerful than people give it credit for,” says Carlos Berio, a physical therapist in Alexandria, Virginia. Indeed, Caudle adds, it’s an essential in her house for reducing fevers and handling minor aches. People who should avoid NSAIDs, too, can often find relief with acetaminophen. U.S. News, in partnership with Pharmacy Times, ranks Children’s Tylenol the top choice for kids’ pain relief.
Triple antibiotic ointment
You probably first got to know triple antibiotic cream as that gel your mom or school nurse spread on your knee after you scraped it on a tree or fell off a bike. The cream — which helps prevent infection by killing bacteria on the skin — is always in supply in Dr. Ernest Brown’s medicine cabinet. “I recommend these for families and people of all ages — dosed appropriately, of course,” says the family medicine physician in the District of Columbia. Neosporin is the top over-the-counter pick, according to the pharmacists surveyed by U.S. News and Pharmacy Times, while Dr. Marie Jhin, a dermatologist in California, opts for prescription. “I want strong stuff for any cuts or infections,” she says.
Hydrocortisone cream
Whether you’re an avid hiker or only visit the outdoors to walk to and from your car, chances are you or someone in your family will encounter a bug, leaf or other irritant that causes a rash or itching at some point. That’s why health pros keep hydrocortisone cream like Cortizone in their cabinets. “It can be great for minor rashes and itches,” Caudle says. Adds Berio: “When you find that patch of poison ivy or get bitten by that mosquito, having this handy can be awesome.” Here, too, Jhin opts for prescription-strength varieties.
Antihistamines
Similar in purpose to hydrocortisone creams, antihistamines like Benadryl combat more severe allergic reactions, motion sickness and even symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. “Some people have amazing relief with the type of antihistamine that you can get over the counter,” Berio says, but others may need a type like Claritin (which, in most states, is kept behind the pharmacy counter, but can be acquired without a prescription) to benefit from the decongestant pseudoephedrine it contains. U.S. News ranks Claritin top in this category. Because these and other health products aren’t safe for all ages and can interact with other medications, “make sure you follow dosing and administration instructions carefully,” Caudle says. When in doubt, talk to your doctor.
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5 Products Health Professionals Keep in Their Medicine Cabinets originally appeared on usnews.com
