‘Tis the Season

Just as winter comes every year whether we like it or not, so does the cold and flu season. We all know the rules to avoid catching “what’s going around”: washing our hands often; avoiding touching our eyes, nose and mouth after being in contact with public things where germs might lurk (door knobs, phones, etc.); keeping away from people who have a cold or the flu (although that’s not always easy when it’s a family member); drinking plenty of water; getting enough sleep; and so forth, but we still might be unable to avoid getting sick.

         Of course there are many over-the-counter medications touted to relieve symptoms. Most of them do their job well, as long as they are not past their prime. What I mean is that many of us have spent our lives being money-wise. We don’t throw things out unless it is absolutely imperative, so when we buy a medication one year to help us through a cold, we tend to keep it in the medicine cabinet. Maybe I’ll need it again, we tell ourselves. And the following year, or two years later when a cold hits, we search for anything we might have on hand. The trouble with that is that it could be well past it’s ‘best before’ date.

           Winter is a good time to clean out the medicine cabinet and throw away old medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. I put mine all in a bag and bring it to my local pharmacy where they dispose of such things in a safe manner. Throwing old pills in the toilet is definitely not a ‘green’ step because there is a risk that some of it might make its way into the water supply.

           Or there might be another option. As my neighbor Marj says, “When a cold remedy is past its best-by date, I pass it on to my ex. Either it does nothing, or he gets better, or if I’m real lucky he gets sicker.” It’s a matter of perspective, isn’t it?