Whether you live alone or have a lot of people in your home with you, having a first aid kit is a good idea. Although you’ll hope never to have to use it, having it means you can be prepared for any small accidents and incidents that might happen, from burns to cuts to headaches and more.
It’s important to have a first aid kit and to keep it stocked with the right equipment. With that in mind, here are some of the most essential things to keep in your first aid kit so you’re ready for anything that might happen.
Medication
There are many different types of medication that you can buy to help you stay healthy or to promote healing if you’re sick. These are not the same as any medications that might be prescribed for a specific condition – they should be kept in a medicine cabinet or somewhere else that’s easily accessible, so you don’t forget to take them when you need to. Instead, this medication may not be used at all but is useful to have nonetheless.
You could include pain relievers, topical creams, and antihistamines which are ideal for allergies – for example, you might treat hayfever with Nasonex, and having that in your first aid kit would be useful.
Dressings And Bandages
Having dressings and bandages in your first aid kit is also a good idea. These will help to cover up any wounds you might have and ensure they are kept as clean as possible. This will help them heal better and keep any injury sites as clean as possible while you wait for any additional medical help, if required.
To begin with, band-aids are a great idea, as they will cover most small cuts and abrasions and will always be useful. On top of this, gauze pads can be ideal. You can buy them in different sizes, or you can get a large one that you can cut to size; gauze offers protection for wounds.
You might also want to add bandages. These are great for keeping larger dressings in place and can also help immobilize joints and limbs should the need arise.
To keep wounds clean, you can include the following:
- Cleansing wipes
- Eyewash
- Hand sanitizer
Basic Medical Equipment
Although you won’t want to or be able to have a lot of high-tech medical equipment in your first aid kit (if you had a need to use this, it would be best to go to the hospital to see a professional, after all), it can still be a good idea to have some basic equipment in your kit.
Basic medical equipment could include a blood pressure monitor or heart rate monitor, a thermometer to check someone’s temperature, cold packs to reduce swelling, gloves, and masks for protection, and perhaps a blanket in case of shock.
As we said, you’ll hope never to have to use any of this equipment, but accidents happen, and it’s best to be prepared, just in case.
