There’s safety in the prescription pad: Doctor’s orders remove all doubt about which pill to pop. But without the chicken scratch on that scrip to guide you, do you know which meds are best?
More than 100,000 are available over the counter and contain over 1,000 active ingredients—which you probably ignore. In fact, a new Northwestern University study reveals that 59 percent of people don’t always check the contents of their OTC drugs. “Most people shop by symptom, not ingredient,” says study author Michael Wolf, Ph.D., M.P.H.
It’s time to stop buying blind. We hit the drugstore, talked to the experts, and decode the labels. Below are the best over-the-counter remedies for 8 of your most common symptoms.
