Staying Healthy and Coping With
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS By Ianni Le
Teach them what types of medicine they should keep on hand. Your student needs a properly stocked medicine cabinet. The last thing anyone wants to do when they’re sick is trek to the store. Here’s what I like to keep in mine (after years of trial and error):
* Tums or Pepto-Bismol. For those times when food just doesn’t sit right or their stomachs are feeling queasy.
* Tylenol or Advil. Any preferred kind of pain and fever relief is super helpful to keep on hand.
* A thermometer to check for fevers. * DayQuil and NyQuil, if you use these products (or a generic or homeopathic equivalent). This duo is a student staple as colds travel so quickly through the dorms.
* Cough drops and Band-aids are items you really want to have at the ready.
* Allergy medication. If your student has allergies, be sure they have an adequate supply of medication for it and that they understand how and when to take it.
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* A first aid kit. Make sure they have Neosporin or an equivalent to clean the wound and sufficient bandages for whatever might happen. CollegiateParent MarketPlace has a handy kit you can get off Amazon that includes a little of everything!
* Immunity boosters. This one is more of a personal preference, but I appreciate having Emergen-C packets or Vitamin C available when I notice people around me starting to get sick. You may have your own homeopathic approach to preventive wellness that you can share with your student. You can also help them stock up on a few of their favorite shelf-stable sick foods from childhood. Maybe it’s a can or two of chicken noodle soup, or tea and honey. My mom stuffed my suitcase with packets of the ginger tea she fed me when my stomach was upset growing up (which was a lot of the time). The nostalgia on its own did wonders in helping me feel better.
Fall 2021
