First Aid Kits for College
Here’s a guide to what to include in your own, or your child’s own personal first aid kit. But first, you need a container to put all your medical paraphenlia in. I suggest a cheap plastic box, no need for anything fancy. You want something that’s easy to store in a college dorm. If you are going to put in anything you might be embarassed about then perhaps you won’t want a see-thru container.
OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDS:
1. Aspirin– Aspirin (Tylenol, Bayer, Ecotrin, Generic) can be a remedy for many things, headaches, backaches, toothaches, and fevers, but where this really comes in handy is with hangovers. Parents, you probably don’t want to admit that your children might be drinking at school, but aspirin can help them in the hangover department.
2. Ibuprofen – Similar to aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) is a pain reliever as well. I used this rather than the aspirin when I suffered from sports-type injuries like sprained ankles. I was a competitive athlete in high school and college and this was the over the counter relief that was recommended to me by the school’s medical staff when I got injured. This can also help girls with menstrual cramps.
3. Naproxen – As mentioned previously, ibuprofen can help with menstrual cramps, but for those girls who need something stronger, Naproxen (Aleeve) is the way to go.
4. Migraine Relief – Even if you have never suffered from a migraine in your life you might want this. College is an environment with a lot of pressure and can often times trigger migraines. I recommend Excedrin Migraine. Added bonus – helps with hangovers as well.
5. Eye Drops – Dorms love to crank up the heat in the winter months. As a result your eyes can dry out. Also, you may encounter a lot more smokers than ever before. Eye drops (Visine, Bausch & Lomb, Clear Eyes) are great for putting lubrication back into dry eyes.
6. Sinus/Allergy – Common colds are, well, common in college. Living in such close proximity to many other teenagers is a fabulous way to catch a cold. It’s also a great way to catch rashes from others as well. Products such as Sudafed and Benadryl are good things to have in these cases.
7. Sore throat – It’s always good to have something liquid to coat your throat when it hurts. A small bottle of something like Chloraseptic or Robitussin is a smart thing to have on hand. Also, a bag of Halls will soothe too.
8. Stomach relief – Dining hall food isn’t the best thing for your tummy. You might want to have something (Immodium) on hand just in case you find yourself having an emergency. If it’s the other end that’s feeling bad then perhaps something like Pepto Bismol is more appropriate.
First Aid Products:
9. Band Aids – Don’t just get all the same size. This is something that many people won’t have so if people know you have a first aid kit (and you’re of the sharing nature), bring a lot as you’ll be going through them quickly. Ladies, you know you wear uncomfortable shoes on weekend nights, so band-aids will become your best friend.
10. Antiseptic – If you cut yourself it’s important to have something to clean your wound. Start off with some hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol and then finish off with an antibiotic ointment or something like Neosporin.
11. Bug bite relief – Depending on where you go to school this may or may not be necessary.
12. Athlete’s Foot medicine – Nobody wants to think they’re going to get Athlete’s Foot, but showers in dorms aren’t the cleanest. Even if you where shower sandals you might pick it up.
There’s a strong chance you won’t use everything on this list, but it’s much better to be prepared. Nobody wants to have to worry about buying medicine when they are sick (especially if you don’t have access to a car), so have this stuff already just in case.
