The universality of OTC medication consumption

Even if you don’t suffer from headaches regularly, chances are you still own some of the medicines depicted here on my desk. They are probably stored in a cupboard or drawer specifically used for keeping painkillers - one that probably looks very similar to mine. Medicine cabinets often go unnoticed, but it is likely that they have been a part of your life ever since you were little. I would like to ask you to travel back in time for a moment, to your childhood. Remember that special cupboard your mom used to take some aspirin out of when you had a toothache or a sore throat? I do. My parents kept painkillers in the cupboard above the oven, and my grandparents in the drawer next to the sink. I keep mine in the middle drawer of my bookcase. I also always have some paracetamol in my handbag when I go out, just like my mom and grandmother.

I think it is quite special that most homes and bags have a little space reserved for painkillers and that everyone uses them at least once in a while. The experience with over-the-counter painkillers is therefore a universal one. If you’re interested in this topic, continue the story to learn more about the history of headaches and the persistent battle against them.