Health
Medicine cabinet must-haves: 9 essentials every household should have on hand
What’s in your medicine cabinet?
In the event of aches and pains, allergic reactions or even a minor medical emergency, do you have the essential supplies?
Fox News Digital spoke with two experts — Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois, a pharmacist based in Dallas-Fort Worth, and Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and the CEO and co-founder of Vitalize, a private supplement company — who identified the most important medical staples that every household should have on hand.
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Here’s a list of 9 key staples.
1. Pain relievers
Common pain relievers such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen are important for treating headaches, easing achy muscles, reducing inflammation and lowering fevers, according to Bourgeois.
Here are the nine most important medical staples that every household should have on hand. (iStock)
“These are simply medicine cabinet essentials,” she said.
2. Allergy medications
“Each allergy medication is designed to treat specific symptoms, so it’s important to find the correct over-the-counter medicine in order to manage and relieve your allergy symptoms,” Bourgeois said.
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Antihistamines like Claritin, Allebgra and Zyrtec may treat symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis — also known as hay fever, which causes sneezing and itching.
A decongestant medication like Sudafed or Afrin nasal spray treats congestion or headaches.
3. Cold, cough and flu medicines
It’s important to pick your over-the-counter cold medication carefully, based on the specific symptoms you’re experiencing, according to Bourgeois.
“For example, to combat a cough, you’ll want to take dextromethorphan (Delsym or Robitussin),” she said.
Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois, PharmD, is a pharmacy and health expert based in Dallas-Fort Worth. (Jennifer Bourgeois/SingleCare)
“For aches, pains and fever, you’ll want to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Cough drops are also medicine cabinet staples.”
Decongestants with pseudoephedrine can help relieve nasal congestion, she noted.
“For medications that contain pseudoephedrine, you will need to access these through the pharmacy, as federal regulations require that these medications are kept behind the counter.”
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Combination medications can be helpful when experiencing multiple symptoms, but it’s important to pay attention to the ingredients to prevent doubling up.
“Sometimes a person may not benefit from all the ingredients in a combination product,” Bourgeois said.
“Combination products often contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief, and it’s important that the patient not take more pain relievers in addition to the combination product.”
4. Digestive aids
Digestive aids shouldn’t be used regularly, Bourgeois said, but they are important in stomach-related times of need.
“Antacids for heartburn relief (Tums or Rolaids), antidiarrheals (such as loperamide, i.e., Imodium), and laxatives (such as Dulcolax and Miralax) are must-haves for the medicine cabinet,” she said.
Although digestive aids shouldn’t be used regularly, they are important in stomach-related times of need, one pharmacist said. (iStock)
“Pepto-Bismol is a great catch-all for stomach issues, as it can provide relief from heartburn, diarrhea and nausea.”
5. Topical treatments
Topical treatments like hydrocortisone are important to have on hand in case you experience a rash or bug bite, as they help reduce localized inflammation and itching, Bourgeois said.
“To help with dry, itchy skin or minor skin irritations, Aquaphor is another great product for your medicine cabinet, as it helps moisturize the skin,” she added.
“And parents of infants and toddlers know that triple paste is a must-have for treating diaper rash and skin irritation.”
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Calamine lotion also helps to soothe irritation from insect bites, rashes or chicken pox, according to Dubinsky.
“Antifungal creams such as Clotrimazole and Terbinafine are also useful for treating fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, jock itch and ringworm,” she added.
6. First aid supplies
“The quick and easy version of this is to purchase a first-aid kit,” Bourgeois said.
Experts recommend keeping a first aid kit in the home and another in the car. (iStock)
For those who want to purchase à la carte, she recommends including adhesive bandages, large 4″ x 4″ gauze pads, a gauze roll, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment to prevent infection (such as Neosporin), compression dressings, a cold compress, hydrocortisone ointment (such as Cortisone 10), tweezers (for splinters and ticks) and a thermometer.
“I suggest keeping one of these kits in your house and another one in your car,” Bourgeois said.
7. Sun safety and treatment
When selecting sunscreen, Bourgeois recommends opting for a broad-spectrum variety with an SPF of at least 30.
“Broad-spectrum means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays,” she noted.
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Mineral-based sunscreens, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are considered safe and provide a physical barrier that reflects UV rays, Bourgeois said.
Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation before it penetrates the skin.
When selecting sunscreen, an expert recommends opting for a broad-spectrum variety with an SPF of at least 30. (iStock)
“When you’ve had too much sun exposure, I advise applying a moisturizer that contains aloe vera to help soothe the sunburn and relieve irritation,” Bourgeois said.
“In addition to aloe vera, a cold compress can also help reduce swelling and alleviate any discomfort.”
8. Neti-pot/saline rinse
Using a sinus rinse can help flush out allergens and mucus from the nasal cavities, Bourgeois noted.
“Allergies increase mucus production as a mechanism to clear out the allergens, but excessive mucus production can accumulate in the sinus cavities, creating an environment for viral and bacterial infections to thrive,” she warned.
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“Flushing out the nasal cavity can help reduce allergy symptoms and eliminate potential infections from arising.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a how-to guide showing proper technique and best practices.
9. Eyedrops
Eyedrops such as Visine and Systane are a must-have for moisturizing dry eyes or alleviating redness, according to Dubinsky.
Proper storage and disposal
When storing medications, it’s important to keep them in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture, which can degrade their effectiveness, according to Dubinsky.
“Avoid storing them in the bathroom, where humidity is typically high,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Regularly check expiration dates and safely dispose of expired medications,” an expert advised. “Expired medications can lose potency or become harmful.” (iStock)
“Most medications should be stored at room temperature, between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C),” Bourgeois noted.
The pharmacists recommend routinely checking the expiration dates on your prescriptions and safely disposing of any that are past their shelf life.
“Expired medications can lose potency or become harmful,” Bourgeois warned.
It’s also important to store medications in their original packaging to ensure that you have access to expiration dates, dosage instructions and other important information, she added.
“While over-the-counter medications are safe and available for self administration, it’s best to consult with a health care professional to determine if a product is right for you.”
When disposing of expired medications, follow local guidelines.
“Many pharmacies offer take-back programs for unused drugs,” noted Bourgeois.
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If there are children in the house, use childproof containers and store medications out of reach.
“Consider a locked cabinet if necessary,” Bourgeois advised.
If there are children in the house, use childproof containers and store medications out of reach, experts advised. (iStock)
If you have any questions about which medications are safe and effective, it’s best to consult with your doctor, the experts agreed.
“While over-the-counter medications are safe and available for self administration, it’s best to consult with a health care professional to determine if a product is right for you,” Bourgeois said.
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“This is particularly true if you have a chronic disease or take prescription medications, as there are some over-the-counter medications that may interact with your current prescription.”
When it comes to specific interactions and treatment indications, your pharmacist is a great resource, Bourgeois added.
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Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. New research shows one group getting hit the hardest – those without a college degree.
A recent study from the American Cancer Society analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023.
While death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed.
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For young adults with a high school education or less, the mortality rate rose from 4.0 to 5.2 per 100,000 people, while the rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree stayed flat, at approximately 2.7 per 100,000.
This does not mean that a degree offers some kind of biological protection, researchers cautioned.
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. (iStock)
The difference is likely driven by the conditions in which people live and work, which often correlate with education levels, the researchers noted.
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The study suggests that the higher death rates are likely driven by differences in the prevalence of risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and diet, which are “known to be elevated among children and young adults with lower [socioeconomic status].”
Because the study relied on death certificates, researchers couldn’t say exactly why college graduates had better outcomes.
Because the researchers didn’t have the patients’ actual medical records, they couldn’t see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes. (iStock)
Certificates typically list the cause of death, age, race and education level, but they do not include a person’s full medical history.
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Because the researchers didn’t have the patients’ actual medical records, they couldn’t see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes.
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Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group, according to recent statistics.
While colorectal cancer death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed. (iStock)
Because the disease is highly treatable when caught early, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021.
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Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer can include a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days, according to the American Cancer Society.
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Other signs that warrant seeing a doctor include blood in the stool or a persistent feeling of needing to go to the bathroom but being unable to go.
The research was published in JAMA Oncology.
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A young woman who started vaping at the age of 15 has been given just 18 months to live — after being diagnosed with lung cancer in her early 20s.
Kayley Boda, 22, of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, was engaging in heavy vaping on a regular basis when she started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in it in January 2025, news agency SWNS reported.
The retail assistant said doctors turned her away eight times, telling her she had a chest infection — until she began coughing up blood.
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After seven biopsies, Boda was diagnosed with lung cancer. She underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy — and in February 2026, got the all-clear, the same source reported.
Two months later, though, doctors said the cancer had come back in the pleural lining. Now she’s been given 18 months to live.
Kayley Boda, 22, is shown in the hospital. She started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in January 2025, she said. She had been vaping since the age of 15. (SWNS)
The young woman has now issued a warning to others to be aware of the dangers of vaping.
Boda said she smoked a bit as a young teenager. She took up vaping after that.
Then, “a few months after I switched from reusable vapes to disposable ones, I started coughing up brown, grainy mucus,” as SWNS reported.
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“Doctors turned me away eight times with a chest infection. … Then I started coughing up blood, so they did an X-ray and found a shadow on my lung,” she added.
“They told me they were 99% sure, [since I was] so young, that it wasn’t cancer, so not to worry about it. When I got the results back, and they told me it was lung cancer, it felt so surreal.”
Boda said she was “very naive” before her diagnosis and thought that “something like this would never happen to me.”
She said that she had surgery to remove half of her right lung.
“After the surgery, I started chemo and I had a terrible reaction to it. I couldn’t lift my head up. I was throwing up blood. I was urinating blood. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep.”
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She said that when she got the “all clear [in Feb. 2026], it felt amazing, but just two months later I was told the cancer had come back, and I have 18 months to live.”
She added, “I’m 22. This isn’t meant to happen to somebody my age.”
“Stay off the vapes because they will catch up with you.”
She blames her cancer on vaping, she said.
“My symptoms started a few months after I started disposable vapes, and there’s no lung cancer in my family,” she said. “I haven’t vaped for three months, I’ve made my partner stop, I’ve made my mom stop, I’m urging all my friends to stop. Stay off the vapes,” she continued, “because they will catch up with you.”
When doctors did an X-ray, they found a shadow on Boda’s right lung. She was later diagnosed with lung cancer and has undergone surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy. (SWNS)
She said she’d been using reusable vapes since the age of 15 and began using disposable vapes a few months before her cancer symptoms started.
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In November 2024, when she developed a rash all over her body, doctors said it could have been due to shingles, chicken pox or scabies, she told SWNS.
‘Nothing worked’
“I got treated for all three, and nothing worked,” Boda said. “It got to the point where I was cutting myself from scratching so hard.”
A few months after that, she began coughing up a dark brown mucus, with “grainy bits, the consistency of sugar, in it,” she said. When the coughing continued, she visited the doctor’s office, but was told it could be scarring from pneumonia or a chest infection, she also said.
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It wasn’t until March 2025 that she began coughing up bright red blood. At that point, doctors gave her a chest X-ray and told her they’d found a shadow on her lower right lung.
Over the next four months, she had seven biopsies as doctors took samples from the “shadow.” In August, when she went to get the results, she was told she had stage one lung cancer.
Boda is shown in the hospital. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy. (SWNS)
In September 2025, she had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, and the surrounding lymph nodes. During the surgery, doctors upstaged her cancer from stage one to stage three after finding cancer in six surrounding lymph nodes, she said.
Following the surgery, Boda was unable to breathe properly and had to learn to walk all over again.
“The oncologist said this is so rare.”
After finishing chemotherapy in February 2026, Kayley was given the all clear, leaving her feeling elated.
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However, just a month after that, she began experiencing extreme chest pains and was told by doctors she had a pleural effusion — a build-up of fluid in the lungs. She had the fluid removed, but when doctors tested it, they discovered her cancer had returned to the pleural lining of her lungs, giving her 18 months to live.
“The oncologist said this is so rare, and usually something they see in patients that are 80 years old,” she said, as SWNS reported.
Increasingly, vacation hot spots are enforcing strict bans on the use of e-cigarettes in public venues. (iStock)
Boda claimed that doctors were unable to pin her cancer to a specific cause — but told her that smoking and vaping definitely didn’t help.
Since her diagnosis, she has stopped and is urging others to stop, too.
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She’s hoping to raise the thousands of dollars needed for treatment to try to prolong her life, she said.
Last year, Fox News Digital reported on the case of a Pennsylvania woman, 26, who said she vaped for just one year before her lungs collapsed. She was 22 when she took up the habit, she said in an interview.
“Everybody warned me about it, but I didn’t listen — I wish that I did,” she said.
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Dr. David Campbell, clinical director and program director at Recover Together Bend in Oregon, told Fox News Digital at that time that signs of collapsed lungs include sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Lung issues are just one of the many health issues linked to vaping, he warned. The habit can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as exposure to harmful heavy metals.
Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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