Dear Doctor: Now that it’s harder see a doctor or go to the emergency room, I want to beef up our first-aid kit. What should we have on hand?

Dear Reader: We’re big fans of maintaining a well-stocked first-aid kit and agree that having the right supplies on hand is particularly important right now. We’ll go a step further and suggest that you keep an edited version of the home kit in each car.

Your first step is to identify your family’s specific needs. If someone has a food allergy or a respiratory condition, such as asthma, you’ll want to stock extras of the medications you use to manage those conditions. Be sure to clearly mark each medication with its expiration date.

When it comes to general items, think in terms of the types of medical situations that require prompt attention. These include skin injuries, such as cuts, scrapes, burns, rashes and splinters; mishaps such as pulled muscles or strained ligaments; infections such as a sore throat or a cold; and common allergic reactions such as poison oak, poison ivy and insect stings. Buy the products you’re familiar with and that you’ve had success with in the past.

We also think it’s wise to invest in a good first-aid handbook, which will guide you through the diagnosis and treatment of the mishaps that can occur at home. Leaf through it before stowing it with your gear. Knowing in advance how to approach a burn, cut or sprain will lessen everyone’s stress during an emergency, and it will improve the quality of the first-aid care you’re rendering. Make learning the ropes a family enterprise so everyone can help each other.

First-aid supplies for a family of four should include:

-- 25 adhesive bandages of assorted sizes

-- Antibiotic ointment and antiseptic wipes

-- Aspirin

-- An instant cold compress

-- 2 absorbent compress dressings

-- 1 adhesive cloth tape

-- Nonlatex gloves to be worn when dealing with blood or bodily fluids

-- Hydrocortisone ointment

-- A pair of scissors and a set of tweezers

-- A 3-inch and a 4-inch roller bandage

-- 10 sterile gauze pads (3-by-3 inches and 4-by-4 inches)

-- An oral thermometer that is not glass and does not contain mercury -- and if your thermometer uses batteries, be sure to stock extras

Additional items you may consider include antacid tablets, antidiarrhea meds, a bee-sting kit, a small mirror and blunt-tip scissors. Store everything in a waterproof container that’s easy to open and easy to carry. Something with separate compartments is best so you can easily see and reach the items you need. Use one of the compartments for the family-specific items we talked about earlier. Bathrooms tend to be damp environments, so store your supplies somewhere else, such as a linen closet or kitchen pantry.

Finally, be sure to set up and maintain a first-aid kit checklist. You’ll use this to replenish supplies as you use them, and to keep track of all medications with expiration dates. This is also a good spot to include all of the emergency phone numbers you rely on.

(Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)

Dear Doctor: I wonder if you could help me with a problem that robs me of sleep, and which lately even persists during the day. I’m referring to restless leg syndrome. What causes it? Are there any new findings about getting relief?

Dear Reader: Restless leg syndrome, which is also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a condition in which someone has an uncontrollable need to continually move or flex the muscles in their legs. This is due to unusual and unpleasant sensations such as throbbing, crawling, pulling, tingling or itching, which only subside during movement.

Restless leg syndrome, or RLS, can happen to anyone and at any stage of life. Up to one-third of pregnant women report that they experience RLS symptoms, and the condition occurs in children as well. It’s seen more often in women than in men, and it is most common among older adults. Although it can affect any part of the body, most people experience symptoms in the muscles of their calves or thighs.

RLS symptoms, which become more frequent in the late afternoon and evening, typically begin when someone is at rest. The sensations are so persistent they can’t be ignored. Although flexing the muscles, standing or walking can bring relief, as soon as someone is at rest again, the symptoms return. Like you, the majority of people living with RLS also experience twitching and jerking movements that interfere with sleep. These can occur two or three times per minute throughout the night and often lead not only to sleep deprivation, but also to anxiety and depression.

Although the exact cause of RLS remains unknown at this time, research links it to a disruption in a region of the brain known as the basal ganglia, which is associated with movement. This part of the brain uses dopamine, a brain chemical crucial to smooth and sustained motion. There is also evidence that low levels of iron in the brain may play a role. Drug treatment focuses on opioids, medications to amplify dopamine, antiseizure drugs and certain sleep medications. Each of these comes with potential side effects, so it’s important to discuss the pros and cons with your doctor.

Lifestyle changes such as a moderate exercise program, stretching, massage, warm baths, cutting back on alcohol and tobacco use, and the use of heat or ice packs can ease symptoms. Some people with RSL find relief with a foot wrap, approved by the FDA, which applies pressure to two muscles in the foot. Another device provides pressure and vibration along the backs of the legs. Both of these have been found to help ease RLS symptoms.

A small study by researchers at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine recently found that people with RLS may have an imbalance in certain kinds of bacteria in their gut. This echoes the gut-brain connection currently being explored in Parkinson’s disease, which also involves a loss of dopamine that affects movement. More research is needed, but this line of inquiry holds promise for new and more effective directions in treatment.

(Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)

Dear Doctor: Our son will be 3 years old when his baby sister arrives this fall. What can my husband and I do to help him understand the changes that are on the way?

Dear Reader: Congratulations on your growing family, and also on planning ahead for a major change in your son’s life.

At this point, you’ve mastered the baby basics that were probably daunting when your son first came home, such as, well, just about everything. Now you and your husband, along with your toddler, face a new learning curve. You’ll be juggling the care of two young humans at different stages of development, and your son will be coming to terms with his new role as the older -- and no longer only -- child. The steps you take as your pregnancy progresses, as well as how you integrate your new daughter into family life, will go a long way to smoothing the transition.

Start by talking to your son about the coming baby. As a toddler, his ability to grasp either the scope or the details is limited, so use visual examples to help bridge the gap. If someone in your circle of friends and family has a baby, see if you can arrange for your son to meet and spend time with them. (You may have to do this virtually for the time being.) If possible, repeat these visits throughout your pregnancy.

Make a game out of spotting infants when you’re out and about in the world. Get one or two of the many excellent picture books available about the birth of a new sibling and read (and reread) them together. When your pregnancy has progressed enough, let your son feel the baby’s movements. Explain that his new sister can hear him, and encourage him to talk and sing to her. If you’ve decided on a name for your new arrival, use it when talking about her.

This is a great time to break out the family photo album and show your son pictures of you while you were pregnant with him, as well as of his first few months of life. Telling a simple but specific story about each photo will not only help the images become real, it will let your son know he has a solid place in your family’s history.

Pediatricians often recommend buying a life-sized baby doll and using it to practice contact, as well as caregiving activities. Include your son in the preparations for the baby. Toddlers love color and shape and texture, and letting him in on decisions for decor and toys for the new baby’s room will give him a sense of ownership and control. And -- very important -- your husband should be actively involved in each of these steps as well.

Don’t be surprised if your son becomes anxious and clingy as your due date approaches and once the new baby is home. It’s common for young siblings to regress a bit at this point. Just continue to give him love, reassurance and one-on-one private time, and be patient as everyone adjusts to their new roles.

(Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)