Many households have only a thermometer and perhaps some ice packs in their arsenal of medical equipment. These are very handy, but you may wish to add to this collection. Here are a few pointers:

  1. Bandage Scissors: Taking off a band-aid is fairly simple, if somewhat painful. However, if you have larger wounds, bandage scissors can help and be more sterile. These are different from regular scissors in that they can get under the bandage more easily.
  2. Blood Pressure Cuff: The best of these are digital, though regular cuffs still exist. You may think this is only for old people, but others can find them helpful. As an example, it can help pregnant women watch for pre-eclampsia and toxemia in pregnancy. If you’ve never used one, have your doctor or pharmacist show you how to use it properly.
  3. Dosage Devices: The teaspoons and tablespoons in your cutlery drawer are not a standard size, so using them to give doses of liquid medicine is a bad idea. You can use the standardized set you use while cooking, or you can get specially made dosage devices at your pharmacy.
  4. Heating Pad: A hot water bottle or heating pad can help deal with such conditions as arthritis. You’ll have to use them with care, as they can cause burns or make some medical conditions worse.
  5. Humidifier: Devices that control the humidity level in your home can be very useful. In winter, having the heater on can dry out the air in your home. Add a cold or the flu to it and you can find yourself very uncomfortable. Other areas are very wet, and you may need something to remove some of that humidity.
  6. Ice Packs: Ice packs can be stored in the freezer until needed, then be used to reduce swelling after an injury. Flexible packs are the best, as these injuries tend to be on the limbs.
  7. Thermometer: This is a must for every household. You may need more than one type, depending on the age of your family members. Infants can’t handle the “under the tongue” methods and you really don’t want to use an oral thermometer the one way you can get an accurate temperature on a baby. I find digital thermometers best, because they are easy to read. Finding the mercury strip on an older model is not easy, and the mercury in it is toxic.

You may want to talk to your doctor about other devices that will fill your family’s needs. There are many out there, and it can help you keep your entire family healthy.

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