Better Ways to Treat Common Ailments

Common Mistake: Putting your head back to stop the bleeding, as many first-aid manuals used to advise. The only way to stop bleeding is to apply pressure. Tilting your head back can cause you to swallow the blood, which may lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

How-to Tips: If you get a nosebleed, sit down and lean forward slightly. Remaining upright reduces blood pressure in the veins of your nose, discouraging further bleeding. Leaning forward allows the blood to drain out of your nose instead of down the back of your throat. Using your thumb and index finger, squeeze together the soft portions of the sides of your nose (just above the nostrils) for a few minutes; you want to apply enough pressure that the tip of your nose turns white.

See a Professional: Call your doctor if the bleeding lasts more than 15 minutes, it was caused by an injury, it’s rapid or the amount of blood loss is great, you feel weak or faint due to blood loss, the bleeding begins by trickling down the back of your throat, or you get nosebleeds often.

Common Mistake: Taking too many pills together or tossing them back, which can lead to choking or having the medication become lodged in your throat.

How-to Tips: To make sure a pill goes down completely, take it when you’re sitting up or standing, advises Marialice Bennett, R.Ph., associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy inColumbus. Take the pill or tablet with cool water (or juice or milk) instead of a hot beverage, which may cause the medication to break down prematurely, says Bennett. Prepare your throat by taking a few sips of liquid first to lubricate your tongue, throat and esophagus, and help keep the pill from sticking. After placing the pill on your tongue as far back as you can reach, take a big gulp to wash it down your throat; continue drinking until you’ve finished a full glass of liquid.

See a Professional: If you continue to have problems, ask the pharmacist if a liquid or powder form of the medication is available or if the pills can be crushed and mixed into pudding or applesauce. “Many medications are coated or formulated to be released gradually, and crushing them will ruin their integrity,” says Bennett.

Common Mistakes: Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain caused by inflammation, like menstrual cramps, pulled muscles and dental pain. Both acetaminophen and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce fever and relieve pain, but only NSAIDs also reduce inflammation, reports Bennett. Over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), ketoprofen (Orudis), and naproxen sodium (Aleve).

How-to Tips: For most people, OTC medicine is all that’s needed to relieve occasional pain. For all-day pain relief, choose naproxen; it works in about an hour, and a single dose lasts 12 hours. Due to aspirin’s high probability of causing stomach irritation and bleeding, many doctors now recommend aspirin exclusively to help prevent heart attacks. Acetaminophen, when taken in recommended dosages, is associated with the least number of side effects of all the OTC pain medications.

See a Professional: Don’t treat any ailments with OTC pain medication for more than 10 days unless you’re under the care of a physician.