The Aussie winter can be brutal, with Antarctic winds and icy fronts covering large swathes of the country. This also means an increased risk of unwanted illnesses and injuries, something which we should all be prepared for in the household!
Whether it’s bandages for a burn or medicine for fighting the flu, here are some of the essential medical supplies you should put in your winter first aid kit:
- Panadol
Ah, where would Australians be without their ubiquitous box of Panadol awaiting their yearly influenza bout? Panadol has long been an essential ingredient in fighting the flu, as one of its key functions is reduce the symptoms of pain and fever.
It’s for this reason (among others) that Panadol – containing the key ingredient paracetamol – is essential to your winter first aid kid, as it is one of the best Australian medical supplies for fighting the flu!
- Ibuprofen
Another essential for relieving symptoms of pain and fever, this anti-inflammatory medicine is commonly found in Aussie homes under the brand name Nurofen. However, when treating your child with Nurofen it is vitally important that you have the right dosage for them, as there is the risk of overdosing. What’s more, only infants above the age of three months can be treated with ibuprofen, depending on their weight.
- Bandages
The Aussie winter can present the risk of injury through slipping on wet surfaces and burns from trying to light fires to keep the home warm. As such, homeowners should be prepared to treat these injuries with essential bandages and gauze pads, as they can be used to dress most burns, cuts and scrapes.
You should keep some butterfly bandages handy, too, as they can be used to dress a cut to help minimise scarring. Finally liquid bandages can be perfect for dressing small, uninfected cuts if you have space in your medicine cabinet.
- Medical tape
You need medical tape to hold gauze in place, so this is an essential that should be found in your winter first aid kit alongside your gauze pad. However, if you wrap a finger, arm or leg, you can potentially wrap it without the need to apply medical tape if you have the kind that sticks only to itself.
- Cough medicine
Winter always poses the threat of a dry, hacking cough, and cough medicine can be essential to fighting its unwanted hold on us. Robitussin is another brand that is a household name in Australia, and can be used to reduce the nasty effects of a horrid winter cold.
However, if symptoms persist for over a week – especially those coupled with fever – you should immediately see your doctor as this may be a sign of a more dangerous illness.
- Thermometer
Thermometers are imperative for taking temperature. The temperature readings they provide can help us understand our illness and whether or not treatment measures are working to proper effect.
- Warm liquids
Although this one doesn’t fall specifically under the category of a “medical essential”, it is still essential for helping us maintain our health and wellbeing during the winter months. So, by keeping teas and other warm liquids handy during the winter months, we can be doing a lot to maintain our health and immune system even when we are most at risk of illness!
So, be sure to keep these healthy essentials in your winter first aid kit – you never know when you might need one of them to fight the effects of a nasty winter illness or injury!
