Times when you could do without (or with) a prescription
You could do without a prescription when you...
Have a common cold & flu
As seasonal common cold is arising from virus (influenza type c), you could hop to your nearest pharmacist to get medications for symptomatic relief. This is because viral cold is usually self-limiting and would recover when your body's immune system wins the virus, unlike bacterial infections which are often more severe and would then require antibiotics. Frequent use of antibiotics that are not indicated can give rise to antibiotic-resistant problem (read more).
Examples of medications for symptomatic relief are - paracetamol for a mild fever and aches, expectorant or mucolytics for phlegm, cough suppressant for dry / itchy-throat cough, antihistamine for runny nose, menthol or anti-inflammatory lozenges to sooth a sore-throat.
HOWEVER, if you have any of the following:
- travel history to an endemic or malaria-prone area in the past few months
- a fever that does not subside within 3 days
- has wheezing / signs of breathlessness
- or has persistent (up to a week) purulent colored phlegm
- started a new medication (that could cause neutropenia)
Then it is time to pay your doctor a visit for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Have a wart or corn?
You could go for over-the-counter treatments like Duofilm liquid or corn plasters which both contain salicylic acid. This chemical will make the hardened skin layer peel over time, turning the area white initially. It works for both corn and warts.
Another otc choice for wart is Wartner, which freezes off the wart. Wart is a viral-induced skin problem. A wart has a cauliflower-like appearance and may gradually grow bigger. Unlike warts, corn can't be freeze-off.
Young children, immuno-compromised or diabetic persons should seek doctor's advice before self-treatment.
Have hereditary hairloss
That is if your parent(s) have hair loss problem as they age and you find yourself in their footsteps, you could hop to the pharmacist to get some hair tonics or this topically applied medication called Minoxidil which comes in various strengths. It is now available over-the-counter. It works for both male and female baldness in most cases but if no results is seen within 6 months of use, then you might want to discontinue use and seek alternative.
If you think your hair loss problem is due to dietary deficiency, you could take some hair supplements (usually containing amino acids, collagen and some herbs). If you think you are suffering from some scalp disease, which resulted in the hair loss, then it is important to first get it diagnosed and treated.
People who are taking long-term medications or have any medical condition should first let your pharmacist know before seeking self-treatment.
Have mild to moderate eczema
Eczema is an allergy skin condition where there's itching, rashes and possibly dryness (which exacerbates the itch). It can occur at any age and be triggered by food or allergens in the environment.
For mild cases which resolve by themselves, avoidance of allergens and a good moisturizer to protect the skin would usually serve well as prevention measures. For bothersome cases in which you can't identify what things you need to avoid, you could visit a doctor for a skin-prick test. Sometimes to your dismay, it could be things that are hard to avoid eg. haze, dust-mites. Exposure to allergens often cause the eczema to persist or worsen. Nevertheless, use of a suitable moisturizer on a regular basis and a soap-free cleanser should be the first line of remedy for all cases to help maximize skin protection.
For moderate eczema cases, you may also need oral anti-itch medication and/or steroid cream to treat the symptoms.
For severe or persistent cases not improving despite self-treatment, you may require stronger prescription therapies such as steroid from the doctor. Once the inflammatory symptoms of eczema has been controlled, you could consider stepping down to self-treatment and prevention.
Take note to avoid prolonged and regular use of steroid creams as they could thin the skin or make the area under treatment more prone to skin infections (especially if there are any broken skin from scratching).
Constipation and mild diarrhea
For constipation, you could get laxatives over the counter and they can be broadly classified as for short-term fast relief or for longer term slower relief. The fast relief ones are usually senna tablet, bisacodyl tablet or suppository and enemas. These are not recommended for prolonged regular usage as they can cause dependence (lazy bowel) and abdominal cramps. The slower relief ones but safe for long term use are lactulose, fibres and probiotics. Lactulose and fibres would take about 2-3 days for onset, may be milder in effect and occasionally cause bloating, so you might want to start low and continue them for a while.
Drinking more water, healthy lifestyle and having a balance diet can't be emphasized enough for people who suffer from long term constipation.
Diarrhea may prove a bit more complex in terms of the choice of therapy because it may arise from various causes:
traveller's diarrhea or pathogenic diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, medications or colon diseases (cancer, inflammatory bowel disease etc).
Any diarrhea with fever, blood in stool, severe cramps or persisting beyond 2 days should warrant a doctor's visit.
The first-line of treatment for traveller / infectious diarrhea is NOT to simply stop the diarrhea but to drink re-hydration salt with enough fluid to prevent getting dehydrated. Taking charcoal pills (available over-the-counter) may help in the initial phase of food poisoning by absorbing the toxins. If you are certain that your diarrhea is mild or not infectious in nature, then you could take Lomotil (diphenoxylate) or Imodium (loperamide) which are medications to reduce your gut movement in stopping the diarrhea. They DO NOT prevent dehydration. Avoid prolonged usage as you would not want to 'mask' the diarrhea and have bacteria or toxins continuing to manifest in your intestines.
For prevention of traveller's diarrhea, you could take probiotics on a daily basis to 'strengthen' your gut. Although it's best to abide by the rules of “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it”.
Any medications (eg. augmentin, metronidazole..) that are warranted for bacterial or protozoal diarrhea treatment would need to be prescribed by the doctor.
Young children, the at-risk group (elderly, diabetic) or anybody with signs of dehydration should seek medical attention immediately.
Have a common cold & flu
As seasonal common cold is arising from virus (influenza type c), you could hop to your nearest pharmacist to get medications for symptomatic relief. This is because viral cold is usually self-limiting and would recover when your body's immune system wins the virus, unlike bacterial infections which are often more severe and would then require antibiotics. Frequent use of antibiotics that are not indicated can give rise to antibiotic-resistant problem (read more).
Examples of medications for symptomatic relief are - paracetamol for a mild fever and aches, expectorant or mucolytics for phlegm, cough suppressant for dry / itchy-throat cough, antihistamine for runny nose, menthol or anti-inflammatory lozenges to sooth a sore-throat.
HOWEVER, if you have any of the following:
- travel history to an endemic or malaria-prone area in the past few months
- a fever that does not subside within 3 days
- has wheezing / signs of breathlessness
- or has persistent (up to a week) purulent colored phlegm
- started a new medication (that could cause neutropenia)
Then it is time to pay your doctor a visit for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Have a wart or corn?
You could go for over-the-counter treatments like Duofilm liquid or corn plasters which both contain salicylic acid. This chemical will make the hardened skin layer peel over time, turning the area white initially. It works for both corn and warts.
Another otc choice for wart is Wartner, which freezes off the wart. Wart is a viral-induced skin problem. A wart has a cauliflower-like appearance and may gradually grow bigger. Unlike warts, corn can't be freeze-off.
Young children, immuno-compromised or diabetic persons should seek doctor's advice before self-treatment.
Have hereditary hairloss
That is if your parent(s) have hair loss problem as they age and you find yourself in their footsteps, you could hop to the pharmacist to get some hair tonics or this topically applied medication called Minoxidil which comes in various strengths. It is now available over-the-counter. It works for both male and female baldness in most cases but if no results is seen within 6 months of use, then you might want to discontinue use and seek alternative.
If you think your hair loss problem is due to dietary deficiency, you could take some hair supplements (usually containing amino acids, collagen and some herbs). If you think you are suffering from some scalp disease, which resulted in the hair loss, then it is important to first get it diagnosed and treated.
People who are taking long-term medications or have any medical condition should first let your pharmacist know before seeking self-treatment.
Have mild to moderate eczema
Eczema is an allergy skin condition where there's itching, rashes and possibly dryness (which exacerbates the itch). It can occur at any age and be triggered by food or allergens in the environment.
For mild cases which resolve by themselves, avoidance of allergens and a good moisturizer to protect the skin would usually serve well as prevention measures. For bothersome cases in which you can't identify what things you need to avoid, you could visit a doctor for a skin-prick test. Sometimes to your dismay, it could be things that are hard to avoid eg. haze, dust-mites. Exposure to allergens often cause the eczema to persist or worsen. Nevertheless, use of a suitable moisturizer on a regular basis and a soap-free cleanser should be the first line of remedy for all cases to help maximize skin protection.
For moderate eczema cases, you may also need oral anti-itch medication and/or steroid cream to treat the symptoms.
For severe or persistent cases not improving despite self-treatment, you may require stronger prescription therapies such as steroid from the doctor. Once the inflammatory symptoms of eczema has been controlled, you could consider stepping down to self-treatment and prevention.
Take note to avoid prolonged and regular use of steroid creams as they could thin the skin or make the area under treatment more prone to skin infections (especially if there are any broken skin from scratching).
Constipation and mild diarrhea
For constipation, you could get laxatives over the counter and they can be broadly classified as for short-term fast relief or for longer term slower relief. The fast relief ones are usually senna tablet, bisacodyl tablet or suppository and enemas. These are not recommended for prolonged regular usage as they can cause dependence (lazy bowel) and abdominal cramps. The slower relief ones but safe for long term use are lactulose, fibres and probiotics. Lactulose and fibres would take about 2-3 days for onset, may be milder in effect and occasionally cause bloating, so you might want to start low and continue them for a while.
Drinking more water, healthy lifestyle and having a balance diet can't be emphasized enough for people who suffer from long term constipation.
Diarrhea may prove a bit more complex in terms of the choice of therapy because it may arise from various causes:
traveller's diarrhea or pathogenic diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, medications or colon diseases (cancer, inflammatory bowel disease etc).
Any diarrhea with fever, blood in stool, severe cramps or persisting beyond 2 days should warrant a doctor's visit.
The first-line of treatment for traveller / infectious diarrhea is NOT to simply stop the diarrhea but to drink re-hydration salt with enough fluid to prevent getting dehydrated. Taking charcoal pills (available over-the-counter) may help in the initial phase of food poisoning by absorbing the toxins. If you are certain that your diarrhea is mild or not infectious in nature, then you could take Lomotil (diphenoxylate) or Imodium (loperamide) which are medications to reduce your gut movement in stopping the diarrhea. They DO NOT prevent dehydration. Avoid prolonged usage as you would not want to 'mask' the diarrhea and have bacteria or toxins continuing to manifest in your intestines.
For prevention of traveller's diarrhea, you could take probiotics on a daily basis to 'strengthen' your gut. Although it's best to abide by the rules of “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it”.
Any medications (eg. augmentin, metronidazole..) that are warranted for bacterial or protozoal diarrhea treatment would need to be prescribed by the doctor.
Young children, the at-risk group (elderly, diabetic) or anybody with signs of dehydration should seek medical attention immediately.
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