Tips To Help You Manage Your Medications And Medical Supplies At Home
Posted on: 7 May 2016
If you take more than one medication a day, you may know how it feels when you realize you have forgotten one. You might also know how it feels to have an interaction when you are given a new medicine or how it feels to run out of supplies like diabetic syringes. Follow these tips for getting the most out of the medications you take daily and and for always having the supplies you need.
Make A List
Making a list of all the medication you take daily is important and should be taken along with you to doctor's appointments. In this way, you don't forget about any of the medications you take, especially if you take more than a couple of them. With an accurate list of your medications, your doctor will have the information he or she needs to know to avoid giving you a mew medication that would interact with any of the ones you are presently taking.
Including Herbal Supplements And Vitamins
If you take herbal supplements and vitamins every day, be sure to include them on your list of daily medication. Even though herbal supplements and vitamins are usually natural ingredients, some of them can be more potent than you think, especially when they are taken with chemically-based drugs that have similar effects. For example, if you take an anti-depressant and the herbal ingredient Valerian, you could become too sedated. Always list all natural ingredients you take every day so your physician will know about them.
Keeping Inventory Of Your Medical Supplies
Many people have medical supplies they use every day at home. You may have diabetes and need to keep insulin syringes on hand or maybe you have high blood pressure and need to keep fresh batteries on hand for a digital blood pressure cuff. Maintaining a list for keeping up with the supplies you need to reorder is important and can make it easier for you remember. Never running out of syringes or other medical supplies is the best way to keep up your good health, especially when it comes to disease management like that of diabetes.
When you need to replace tools necessary for administering or measuring medication, writing it down on your medical supply inventory list can help you to remember them. For example, if you have washed a measuring spoon several times, you may not be able to see the measurements anymore. If you use a measuring spoon for strong medications like liquid narcotic painkillers, you need to see the measurements to avoid taking too much. This can be especially important for elderly people that have trouble seeing the measurements once they have been rubbed off with long-term use.
Staying on top of your health and successfully managing medical conditions means you having the medications and medical supplies at home for doing so.
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