Wilderness Pain Medications
Let me begin this article with the statement
that I am not a doctor nor had any formal medical
training however I have picked up some useful
information that I'm certain you may find helpful in
supplying your Wilderness Medical Kit.
Below is a listing of some common ailment that
you may encounter in the woods and the Over The
Counter (OTC) pain medications that help address
that specific problem
Sprains/Inflammation - Ibuprofen
(brand names: Advil, Motrin, Aleve) These are
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory over-the-counter
medications that you should consider having in your
medical kit
Headache/Fever - Acetaminophen
(brand names: Tylenol) are typically
recommended for headaches and fever but also will
address arthritis pain, muscular pains, toothache,
back pain and "common cold" symptoms
Note: The Ibuprofen that is recommended for sprains
and inflammation (above) will also address the
symptoms of a headache and fever.
Heart Attack/Stroke prevention -
Aspirin (brand names: ) Aspirin is NOT a
"blood thinner" (the only thing that will actually
"thin" your blood is to introduce water into your
blood system). Aspirin does prevent the
clotting of your blood platelets so many people (in
error) refer to aspirin as a "blood thinner". Note:
if you get a bad cut in the wilderness aspirin will
allow bleeding to continue for a longer than normal
time so this may be a medication you want to rethink
about taking.
Strengths of Medication
When carrying even "over the counter" medications
you often have a choice of the strength of the
medicines you buy. For example Tylenol
typically comes in tablets containing 500 mg of
Acetaminophen, however the Tylenol for Arthritis
Pain contains 625 mg per table. I personally
have limited space in my Medical Kit so I prefer to
carry the strongest medications that I can find
however that decision is up to you. Read the
labels!
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