Recently, I was working from home and developed a bad headache and sore throat.

Luckily, I was organised and had a well-stocked medicine cabinet filled with the essentials such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, indigestion treatments, and a first aid kit containing a thermometer, plasters and bandages.

Without leaving the house, I was able to rest and take a short course of paracetamol to control my temperature and ease my headache, along with some lozenges to sooth my sore throat. This meant that after 24 hours I felt much better and was able to get back on my feet and then continue working.

I was relieved that by self-care (resting and taking remedies) that I felt better without the need for medical care (from a doctor or nurse).

There are common conditions that people can often manage for themselves, such as:

• Coughs and colds
• Sprains and strains
• Sore throat
• Sinusitis
• Earache
• Constipation
• Headache

If you’re unsure about which conditions you should be managing yourself, or how to manage them, see your local pharmacist.