Cleaning Out The Medicine Cabinet
Cold and flu season is inevitable. To get ready, go through your medicine cabinet and get rid of outdated medicines, mercury thermometers, and anything else that is outdated or obsolete.
- Cough and cold medicines: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that these products not be used in children under the age of two. Companies that make these drugs recommend not using them in children under the age of four. These products are not useful in treating kids' colds. In some cases, these medicines actually can be harmful, especially if care-givers make mistakes with doses or timing.
If you have cough and cold medicines for children in your home, now is a good time to throw them away.
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Mix them with used coffee grounds or kitty litter
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Place the mixture in a covered coffee can or zippered plastic bag
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Put this in the trash. (Do not flush the medicines away unless the label says it's OK.)
[If your child gets a cold or the flu, consult your health care provider. You will probably be told to treat fever with over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen (NOT aspirin). If you do, use the correct measuring device, read the label carefully, and give the right dose. Saline nose drops and a cool-mist vaporizer might also be recommended. In any case, and whenever you give your child medicine, be sure to avoid double-dosing; make sure that everyone who gives medicine to your child knows the schedule.]
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Mercury thermometers: They still tell your temperature, but the mercury is now recognized as a hazard to the environment. If you still have a mercury thermometer, call your county's hazardous waste site, hazardous materials team, land fill, or health department to find out where to dispose of your intact mercury thermometer.
If a mercury thermometer breaks, take some steps to protect yourself and your family.
- Have everyone leave the room. Open the windows. Close the door to that room.
- Call the Poison Center right away at 1-800-222-1222 to find out how to clean up safely.
- Whatever you do, DO NOT walk through the material or vacuum it up.
Replace your mercury thermometer with a digital thermometer, found at any drug store and in the children's section of supermarkets.
If someone is poisoned, call the Poison Center right away at 1-800-222-1222. The experts there will tell you exactly what you need to do. |
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Your Turn! Submit Your "What If" Question
Ever wondered what you should do if your dog is sprayed by a skunk? What about if your child has eaten a crayon? Submit your questions to poisonpost@poison.org, and your question could be selected for the next edition of The Poison Post! (Please do not use this email address for poison emergencies or prevention questions).
In an emergency, or with just a question, call 1-800-222-1222. Your call will be answered by an expert, right away!
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Do You Remember?
Facts from Earlier Versions of The Poison Post
Question: My 7-year-old broke the light stick that goes with her Halloween costume. It splashed in her eye. She's screaming that it hurts. What should I do? | |
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