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HomePosts Tagged "First Aid" (Page 2)

Oh, what wouldn’t I give to be young again. Braving the wild, feasting like a mountain king on shrooms and berries, being the firebird, drinking ice-cold water from clear streams and…. getting intestinal parasites. Lovely perspective, ain’t it?

Well, I don’t want to spoil your upcoming summer vacation or anything, but that’s basically what happens when you drink spring water without using purification tablets. To say that today’s subject is shitty would be a major understatement – giardia, pinworms, and tapeworms. Yup, we’re going to talk about intestinal parasites.

Yes, I know they’re kind of a turn-off, but you can’t always rely on the help of a doctor whenever your butt starts itching or your stool changes color; actually you really need to see a doc in both cases, but considering that you’re lost in some neck of the woods, waltzing in the ER no longer becomes a viable option.

So, without further ado, here’s how to recognize intestinal parasites and how to get rid of them when there’s no doc to see you.

Intestinal parasites – signs and symptoms

As you might have guessed by now, intestinal parasites come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, according to doctors, there are over 300,000 species of parasites that feed upon vertebrae, but only 300 of them can jump into humans. I know that it’s not much to go on when the symptoms start to emerge, but the good news is that with the proper care and treatment, you can get rid of them fast.

Unfortunately, we have neither the time nor the space to go over every intestinal parasite that can affect humans. However, most parasitical infections occur when one of these five ‘guys’ get inside your icky stuff: tapeworm, flukes, hookworm, pinworm (also called the threadworm), and the trichinosis worm.

Quite a list, isn’t it? But how to find the perpetrator if lack medical knowledge or can’t get ahold of a doctor? Let’s consider the big picture – intestinal worms live and thrive in your gut mostly because of our hygienic habits.

For instance, living in squalor, eating tainted meat or getting too close to animals that carry these parasites are surefire ways of getting yourself infected with intestinal parasites. But wait! There’s even more – intestinal parasites often spread through the so-called fecal-oral route. What does that mean? Well, if you shake hands with someone who’s infected and neglected to wash his hands after popping, then the parasites will jump into you.

The same thing can happen if you eat severely undercooked food. Pork meat, for instance, carries the trichinosis worm. That’s why docs always recommend to thoroughly cook it before eating. Be extra careful when buying pork cuts from sources other than farmer’s markets or supermarkets. Sure, nothing beats the meat quality of a homestead-grown hog, but you this doesn’t make it safe to eat. In fact, if the pork meat hasn’t been taken to a vet, you should avoid buying altogether.

Anyway, getting back to intestinal parasites – although all of them induce different symptoms, all have a common denominator: diarrhea. It’s not much to go on taking into account that even the flu shares the same symptom.

However, you should keep in mind that intestinal parasites giardia, apart from diarrhea also induce abdominal cramping and severe dehydration. Furthermore, in the case of pinworms, the only symptoms more annoying that shitting water would be a butt itch. All things considered, if you have abdominal cramps, rectal itching, abnormal stool, diarrhea, and feel that drinking half of the Pacific Ocean won’t quench your thirst, it’s highly likely you have intestinal parasites.

You should also take into account your lifestyle choice and the people you’ve been in contact with. Remember that it only takes a handshake for the parasite to jump into you. Another thing you will need to take into account is the fact that intestinal parasites can move from host to host through vomiting. I don’t think I need to elaborate.

Anyway, taking into account both symptoms and history, it’s now time to see how we can deal with intestinal parasites when there are no doctors around.

How to treat intestinal parasites

The first and line last of defense are antiparasitic meds. I don’t know about your household emergency kit, but your bug out bag’s med kit should include one or more antiparasitic drugs. The most common med used to treat intestinal infection is Metronidazole (also called Flagyl).

Still, it’s hardly the only one. Mebendazole is recommended for treating Giardia, Thiabendazole for roundworm infections, and Niclosamide for tapeworm infection. The best news is that all of them are over-the-counter meds, which means that you can stock up on them whenever you like. Have at least two of this meds in your B.O.B’s med kit. I would also recommend grabbing some Albendazole since it covers a larger array of parasites (broad-spectrum).

Keep in mind that medication is only part of the treatment. You will also need to drink plenty of clear liquids (water, tea or broth) to replenish lost ones. Moreover, your electrolytic balance will also take a beating which means that you will need to find some way to restore it – Gatorade or Pedialyte are great for this job.

If you don’t have any, you can prepare such a concoction by mixing water, half a tablespoon of salt, and two teaspoons of honey.

Final thoughts

One more thing – if you plan on taking antiparasitic meds, don’t drink any booze. Sure, the drug will do its job, but booze plus antiparasitic equals vomiting. You should also ensure that you get plenty of sack time, lay off fat foods, and see a doctor as soon as possible.

And because I’ve already offered you a hint in the intro – you should avoid drinking water from rivers, puddles or mountain springs. I know that nothing beats that cool and crystal-clear water, but it’s safer this way. However, if you run out of bottled water, drop a purification tablet inside a canteen filled with spring water before you drink it.

That’s it on how to identify and treat intestinal parasites. What’s your take on this? Head to the comments section and let me know.

 

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You should avoid drinking water from rivers, puddles or mountain springs. I know that nothing beats that cool and crystal-clear water, but it’s safer this way.

There’s no better nor frustrating way of knowing that it’s six in the A.M and you need to go to work then having to waddle all the way to the bathroom in order to massage those gums.

Have you seen The Green Mile? No matter how hard I try, I still end up crying like a toddler at that scene where Paul and the others escort Coffey to the electric chair. Well, that’s how all of my mornings fell, more or less – dead man walking the walk just to have his brain zapped by yet another glorious 9-to-5 bull session.

Anyway, rant aside, during one of the tedious morns, while shining my chicklets, a thought crossed my mind – is there any other way of using toothpaste besides, well, brushing your teeth?

As always, yours faithfully hoped on the computer and did a little bit of snooping. Of course, as you’re probably painfully aware by now, not everything you find on the Internet should be taken for granted (there was this guy who wrote this ginormous article on how common toothpaste brands such as Colgate or Lacalut can magically heal anything from brain cancer to athlete’s food).

So, after weighing in the facts and laughing my can off in the process, I’ve discovered a couple of nifty and very real ways of using toothpaste outside the bathroom.

Because talk’s cheap and so is the author, let’s get down to business. Here are 10 ingenious ways you can use toothpaste in any SHTF situation.

Acne buster

Do you think that only pre-pubescent guys and girls have to deal with acne? Dead wrong! Acne is a long-term skin condition. Very long-termed, I might add, and this is not coming from a guy who wrestled with acne until his late 30s. Anyway, besides taking your prescription meds (which is a must), you can try rubbing a bit of toothpaste on some of the more problematic areas.

You don’t need much; just a squirt the size of a pea. Gently massage the area, rinse with cold water, and you’re all set to go. It won’t make acne vanish overnight but, in a couple of weeks, you’ll see fewer whiteheads and pimples on your face. This trick is also great for people with oily skin – rub a bit of toothpaste, and your skin will become smoother than a baby’s bottom.

Getting rid of mosquito bites

If it’s one thing I hate more than doing taxes, it’s mosquitos. Summer comes, those dreaded seem to pop out of the ground to spread their reign of terror. Sure, a can of bug repellant will do the trick, but I usually find myself covered in tens of mosquito bites, long before I get around to using the bug spray. A mosquito bite shouldn’t be a reason for concern (unless you live near the Nile area), but there’s nothing you can do about the itching.

Probably most of you end up with bites ten times their original sizes because you can’t simply stop scratching yourself. Well, after trying everything from soothing sprays to medicinal alcohol, I’ve discovered that you can get rid of the itching if put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the bite area. I would go with the peppermint variety because it has that cool feeling to it. Works just fine on other types of insect bites.

Treat burns

A great way to relieve pain and to prevent blistering is by putting a little bit of toothpaste on the scorch mark. Before applying sterile gauze, submerge the burn area in cold water and apply a tiny amount of toothpaste. Since the stuff has powerful antibacterial properties, it will keep the nasty germs at bay and, in addition, create a waterproof barrier.

What can I say? It’s a win-win situation. Word of caution, though – this works for minor burns (a drop of hot oil or wax on hand, applying too much pressure on cigarette butt). For more severe burns, ditch the toothpaste, and get your can to the hospital.

Plugging empty nail holes

For me and my family, spring is more about redecorating than actually doing any cleaning. So, old pictures end up in the attic, and new ones take their place. However, there are instances when the pic we choose for a room really doesn’t match the décor. The result – we end up with one more empty spot and a nail sticking out of the wall.

Most times, I let them nails alone because pulling them would not solve anything except ending up another hole in the wall. If you have the same problem, try this simple hack – get a little bit of toothpaste and plug the hole. Use a hair dryer or something to harden up the paste. You can leave it like this if your rooms painted in hospital-white or take a brush an apply a coat of paint. Easy-peasy!

Poison Ivy treatment

Because mosquito bites are the least of your worries when you’re out camping or hiking. Two words: poison ivy. Apart from the fact that you feel that your entire skin’s on fire or something, not even the best cream will make the itching go away. Now, if you want to skip the step whereupon you’re forced to wear gloves or something as not to upset those pustules, try applying a little bit of toothpaste on the sting area. Of course, the skin sores won’t go away overnight, but you would feel less itchy.

Defog your goggles and windshield

Having to wear prescription glasses since adolescence sort of made me come up with cookie solutions to the cleaning and defogging issues. Back in my days, lenses were made from regular glass. Sure, they were heavy as shit, but at least there was no fogging. Fast-forwarding a bit, nowadays prescriptions are lighter, cheaper, more resilient to scratches, but they do tend to fog out more frequently compared to their glassy counterparts.

Anyway, if you want to prevent fogging, which becomes particularly dangerous when you’re behind the wheel, rub a little toothpaste on the lenses and rinse before leaving the house. I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than a couple of times per month since excessive use of water, and other stuff can wipe away the anti-glare and blue light coatings.

No more bruising

Bruising’s the inevitable denouement of any kind of sudden pressure exerted on the tissues. Remember when we were kids, and we used to come home covered in scrapes and bruises after a whole day of biking?

Well, times might have changed, but habits have not. I for one can’t let the week go by without a brownish patch on my arms and legs. A quick fix for bruises – making a thick paste out of water and toothpaste and applying it to the future bruise area.

The ingredients inside the toothpaste will restore circulation, preventing major discolorations and cutting down on recovery time.

Word of caution though – if you see more of those bruises on your body and know for a fact that you haven’t hit yourself within the last couple of hours, you should ditch the toothpaste remedy and go see a doctor. It may be the beginning of a simple iron deficiency or something life-threatening.

Makes for stronger nails

Brittle nails can be solved by dunking your hands in a bowl of water mixed with toothpaste. Yes, I know it sounds a little bit far-fetched, but do keep in mind that nail brittleness has all sorts of causes, one of them being germs. Since toothpaste contains quite a bit of that stuff, it will eliminate most bacteria, leaving your nails stronger, longer and shinier (was kidding about the longer part).

If you’re that kind of person whose nails tend to exfoliate no matter what you do, I would advise taking some calcium supplements or eating calcium-rich foods. Of course, you should also use this at least twice a week.

Revive your CD and DVD collection

Growing up in the era of computers and laptops, I managed to amass a collection of CDs, DVDs, Blue-Rays, and, yes, even floppy disks. Although most youngers don’t even know what a floppy was or how hard it was to store docs and games on them, from my experience I found them to be more resilient compared to optical storage devices such as CDs or DVDs.

Not even keeping them inside their original cases doesn’t seem to safeguard them from scratches. Sure, losing a CD or two is no big deal, considering that most of them are probably filled with all kind of crap we don’t need.

Still, it becomes truly tragic when we lose stuff like those CDs\DVDs where we stored family vacation photos or the holy wedding DVD (guilty!). It’s a gamble, but there may be a way to access that CD or DVD long enough to copy the data to your laptop or computer.

Take a closer look on the back side of the recording device and notice where the scratches are. Put a little bit of toothpaste on that area and wipe thoroughly with a clean cloth. As I’ve said, it may or may not work, but what have you got to lose?

Remove ink and tobacco stains from hands

Since everybody’s now bonkers about working on the computer, the ink has become less and less popular. Still, for those of you for who the fountain pen still means anything, ink spots from the fingers can be very difficult to remove.

A quick workaround would be to run some toothpaste on the stain and rinse with clean water. Works for clothes too. As for tobacco stains, you will need to prepare a mixture consisting of water, toothpaste, and baking soda. Stir and use a toothbrush to put the stuff on your fingers. Give it a good scrub and, voila – no more stains.

That about wraps it up on my cookie 10 alternative uses of toothpaste. If you were still in doubts about toothpaste should be stockpiled or not, here’s the answer to your question. As always, if you feel that I’ve missed anything, don’t be shy and hit the comment section. Would also love to hear about more how you people use toothpaste in the field.

Before you go, you may also like:

This is more than just about your guns…
How to survive any medical crisis situation with ease
10 Easy Steps to Secure your privacy
Secret Military Solution For Power Independence
DIY Unlimited water source
Why a food reserve is way better than the Federal Reserve
Lost Skills of our Ancestors that still work today

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A thought crossed my mind – is there any other way of using toothpaste besides, well, brushing your teeth? I found not one, but ten.

Probably most of you have included some kind of wound cleaning substance in your first-aid kits. Sure, hydrogen peroxide’s the way to go for getting dirt and other stuff out of the wound, but it’s hardly the only antiseptic out there.

Anticipating that some of you can get a little freaky like me when it comes to having a complete medical kit, I’ve decided to use this opportunity to write about potassium permanganate – prince and pauper, at the same time, among antiseptics. What’s even more interesting is the fact that knowing what this stuff is will allow you to use for stuff other than cleaning wounds.

Before I start talking about the many uses of potassium permanganate, here’s a historical tidbit. During the latter years of the Korean War, the North was so desperate to gain a foothold that it began deploying unconventional weaponry. White phosphorus rounds were one of the weapons used against the South Korean soldiers and friendly American GIs. I won’t go into many details as to what kinds of wounds these devilish contraptions inflicted; suffice to say that it wasn’t a welcoming sight.

Anyway, the trouble with phosphorus rounds was they continued to burn inside the would long after leaving the gun’s barrel. Almost invisible to the naked eye, the Army surgeons had to improvise. And here’s where potassium permanganate comes into play – phosphorus reacts to potassium permanganate; quite violently I might add.

However, if used in small amounts the compound makes phosphorus light up like a Christmas tree. So, in order to operate, surgeons would dunk wounded patients in tubs filled with water, pour in some potassium permanganate, switch off the lights, and operate.

Outside of surgery, this compound can be used for tons of other stuff, most of them having to do with our favorite topic – getting out of SHTF situation. So, after probably boring you half to death with my little historical detour, here’s how potassium permanganate can serve you in a survival-type situation.

  1. Wound managed and various life-threatening scenarios

Let’s start by stating the obvious – potassium permanganate is a very effective antibacterial agent and just the thing you’ll need to keep infection at bay. However, the thing with this compound is knowing what forms works best depending on the nature of your emergency. For instance, in the case of wound management, the liquid solution would be the best approach. However, the powdered form can be successfully employed when having to deal with stuff like snake bites or poisoning.

By the way, if you or someone close to you has ingested poison, you can induce vomiting by using a 0.2 percent permanganate solution. Doctors would often order stomach washes using this compound. Conditions of the skins like irritations, sores or eczema may also be treated using potassium permanganate. Still, if you consider including this compound into your B.O.B or household emergency kit, I wouldn’t use it for more than wound washing.

  1. Getting rid of the dreaded morning breath

Although it’s far trickier to use than baking soda\salt with others, it may be possible to use potassium permanganate to 86 the dreaded morning breath. To prepare a mouthwash, dissolve one gram of powdery potassium permanganate in two gallons of water. This stuff will burn your esophagus and stomach, so be sure you spit it out. By the way, since potassium permanganate is known for its astringent effect (making the skin cells contract), you can use the mouthwash mix to get rid of stinky feet. Use this in conjunction with purified water and soap, and you won’t need another foot spray ever.

  1. Water filtration

If you’re all out of water filtration tablets or can’t lay your hands on charcoal, it may be possible to use powdered potassium permanganate to remove bacteria from the water. According to the FDA’s safety guidelines, the concentration should be around one unit of potassium permanganate to 10,000 units of water.

To figure out what this means, imagine you have a well with very dirty water. By applying the dilution ratio, it means that you will need to use around 7 grams of powdered potassium permanganate to purify one gallon of water. Do the math if you plan to sterilize smaller amounts of liquid.

  1. Fire-starter and probably self-defense weapon

Here’s my favorite way of using this stuff outside medical emergencies – to start a quick fire. For this, you will need around 10 grams of potassium permanganate and one-quarter of a teaspoon of glycerin (if you can’t find glycerin, use a water and sugar mixture). Place the permanganate on a small plate. For extra safety, you should do this experiment outside, as far away from flammable sources as possible. It would also be wise to put the plate on a hard surface like concrete slab or brick.

Now grab a pipette, draw a bit of glycerin and put a few drops in the middle of your permanganate mound. Stand back because the fumes are highly toxic. In a matter of seconds, you’ll see smoke rising from the mound, followed closely by purplish flame. When it’s safe to approach, grab yourself a handful of kindling and longs, move the place to your firepit (don’t forget those safety gloves) and, voila! You now have a cozy fire.

As for the weapon part, I guess you can create makeshift pipe bombs using potassium permanganate and phosphorus. I don’t know for sure if phosphorus is an over-the-counter compound or not, but in SHTF situation, you may be able to combine these two in order to make defensive weapons.

Be extremely careful when mixing potassium permanganate with other compounds. As you’ve seen from the above-mentioned experiment, permanganate doesn’t behave like an English gentleman when combined with stuff like glycerin. Always wear protective gear when working with volatile compounds.

Well, that above covers my take on using potassium permanganate outside the medical field. I hope you’ve enjoyed my article. As always, if you feel that I’ve missed anything, don’t be a stranger and leave a comment.

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Outside of surgery, this compound can be used for tons of other stuff, most of them having to do with our favorite topic – getting out of SHTF situation.

Everyone simply adores it and, truth be told, a meal would never be the same without it. I was, of course, referring to salt or, as I like to call it the uncrowned king of spices (that’s because salt is not actually a spice nor a condiment, but a mineral). Anyway, no matter how bad the food tastes, a pinch of salt can make all the difference in the world.

Of course, without this wonder mineral, we wouldn’t have yummy stuff like beef jerky, jerk-style chicken or the wondrous pickled meat. Come to think of it; our own body would have a hard time coping with, well, like it didn’t have enough sodium chloride. Lest not forget about the marvelous sayings this mineral inspired such as “take everything with a pinch of salt” or “being the salt of the Earth.”

Entire books and stories could be written on the topic of salt and for a darn good reason. As for the subject at hand, yes, it is true that sodium chloride can be of help in many SHTF situations, and not just for curing meat or making pickled veggies. Because I’m such a big fan of salt and salty stuff (though my doc told me I should use less) I’ve decided to write this wonderful piece on survival uses of salt.

Little Black book 2

Call it my tribute to the spice that crowns every dish, regardless if it’s a stove-cooked meal or a fancy plateau whipped up by a chef with two Michelin-stars. Now, if you thought that salt’s only useful for brining, pickling or putting taste back into food, you’re dead wrong. After doing a bit of research, I can wholeheartedly say that I’ve stepped into a whole new salt-using dimension. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself. Here are 12 ways salt can save your sorry can a shit hits the fan situation.

  1. Gum-massaging early in the A.M.

Fact check – no matter how hard you try or what toothpaste use, you can never get that great shade of dentist white- that’s mostly because they use stuff like hydrogen peroxide and light-accelerated bleach. Great if you want to get rid of tobacco stains or plaque, but wouldn’t be recommended it in the long-run since all teeth whitening agents are notorious for weakening the enamel.

Anyway, a very quick, easy, and all-out natural way of getting in a couple of shades of white is by using salt in combination with baking soda and your favorite toothpaste. There are many to do this, the most straightforward one being garbling a mixture of water and equal parts baking soda and salt. If you want to make your own teeth-whitening substance, take a bell-glass and add one tablespoon of salt (aim for the fine grain variety) and one tablespoon of baking soda. Put a bit of water on your toothbrush and sprinkle some of this one top. Wash, rinse, and finish off with regular toothpaste. You’re welcome!

  1. Removing clingy stains

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to toss a T-shirt back into the washing machine just because that pesky stain didn’t come off. Leave the washing machine alone! Here’s the prepper’s way of removing any kind of smudge – while the stain’s still fresh, sprinkle some salt over it. Take a paper towel, dip it in water, and start rubbing. After a couple of seconds, you’ll see that the stain is gone. Works for all kind of smudges – ketchup, blood, dirt, mayo, blueberries. If you have chunky salt, you can try throwing one inside the washing machine for extra cleaning power.

  1. Putting out a fire

Sodium chlorine is held in very high regards not just for its food-rejuvenation properties, but also for being a great fire retardant. If you get yourself lost in some neck of the woods and need to put out a fire fast, forget about sand, dirt or water. Just toss a handful of salt, and everything will be over faster than you realize (I was talking about the camping fire, of course).

  1. Making the itch go away

Stung by poison ivy? Can’t resist scratching that mosquito bite? No problem. Just rub a bit of salt on the sore spot, rinse with a bit of water, and it all goes away. By the way, salt and water can also be used for throat soreness – just garble a bit of salted water two or three times a day and you’ll be on your feet before you know it.

  1. Removing fish scales

In an SHTF situation, fishing can become your only food source. Sure, mostly anyone can reel in a fish with the right tools, but removing the scales – now that’s an art. I managed to cut myself more than a few times while attempting to scale a fish. That’s until I’ve learned this nifty trick – fill a bowl with ice-cold water and add two tablespoons of regular salt. Put the fish inside and allow it to soak overnight. When it’s cooking time, take the fish out, give it a good rinse, and peel off the scales (yes, the scales peel off like snakeskin or something).

  1. Preventing candles from dripping

At some point, probably each of you had to wait out a blackout by the light of a candle. Have no problem with using them, especially in cases that call for this sort of approach (wink-wink), but no matter what I do, I can’t seem to stop that irritating hot wax from reaching my pants. So, if you’re a candle-yes, wax-no kind of a person, you may try soaking the candles in salted water. Leave them overnight, take out, rinse, allow to dry, and that’s basically it. You will have noticed that there’s no more dripping. Awesome!

  1. Patching up plaster or sheet-rock walls

Though it’s safer to call in a pro for this kind of job, you can patch them up yourself in the meantime using water, salt, and corn starch. Do keep in mind that this neat trick works only on plaster or sheet-rock walls (wouldn’t try it on carpentry or heavy masonry). Get yourself a bucket, add some water, and equal parts salt and corn starch. Mix until it becomes pasty. Use a trowel to spread the mix over the wax and cover with a thin layer of paint. Easy-peasy!

  1. Dealing with mosquitos and other pests

And because I’ve mentioned something about mosquito stings and itches, here’s a great way to keep them at bay. Get yourself one of those spray cans and pour inside a water and salt mix. Spray yourself with this mix and around your campsite. Works for ants too. On that note, if you want to keep ants outside your tent, draw a thin salt line around the sleeping area. Will keep out ants, bugs, and even mischievous ghosts.

  1. Open wound management

Yes, I know that the last thing you’ll want to do is to put salt on a wound, especially a nasty one, but this is exactly what you will need to do order to keep infection at bay. Put that salt shaker aside, because that’s not how this thing works. Let’s backtrack a bit. Your blood serum contains sodium chloride, which is used to maintain vital organs like the liver, heart, and kidney in working order.

Docs use so-called isotonic salt solutions (sodium chloride concentration equal to that of your blood serum) to flush out wounds and, if necessary, replace lost levels. And because bacteria abhor salt, a water and salt mix is very useful in the treatment of severe wounds. Here’s what you will need to do in order to flush out an open wound in the field: grab a plastic bottle and fill it with clean water. Add a teaspoon of rock salt and shake the bottle until the salt dissolves. Put on the cap and use your survival knife to make a small hole in the middle of the cap. When you’re done removing any debris from the wound, flush it with this saline mixture before applying sterile gauze, clean cloth or anything you have on hand.

Little Black Book

  1. Removing nasty smells from shoes

If you’re just like me (thanks mom for the awesome glands!) then you know just how difficult it is to remove nasty smells from your shoes. Tried every footcare products out there – all of them are worth zilch! Do you know what removes pungent smells from your favorite blue suede shoes, apart from not wearing them in the first place? Yup, you’ve guessed it – water and salt. Here’s what you need to do. Dissolve one tablespoon of salt in half a liter of water.

Fill up a spray can with this mix. Spray the inside of your shoes and allow the water to evaporate. You can do the same with new shoes. One other advantage of using salt in footcare – it severely cuts back on blistering. Just use the same solution to spray your soles before wearing those shoes. Might be a good idea to do is if you’re planning on breaking new shoes any time soon.

  1. Whacking driveway weeds

I really lost track of all the times I had to get down on my knees to pick up those f-ing weeds that seem to sprout out of every crack in the driveway. What’s even worse is that, if you wait too long before rooting them out, those things can make a hole in the driveway. So, to prevent those weed from growing, grab a little salt from the kitchen and put some in every crack you see. You should also consider mixing up some mortar to patch up those cracks.

  1. Extend milk’s shelf life

I know that the fridge is milk’s BFF, but even this cookie refrigeration contraption can’t keep milk fresh forever. Nothing can, by the way, but there’s a clever trick that can help you extend the milk’s life by at least a couple of days – putting some salt inside the container. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but salt does have this kick-ass property of preventing milk from getting sour. Just be sure you don’t use too much. Otherwise, you’ll probably end up with something that can hardly be called palatable.

So, that’s about it about using salt in a shit hits the fan situations. I’m aware of the fact that some of tips and tricks I’ve shown can hardly be associated with disasters, natural or otherwise, but hey you don’t need a nuke or EMP to be up your neck in crap. Anyway, hope you’ve enjoyed my article on how great salt is (I can never seem to stop praising it). As always, if you feel that something’s missing from the list, be sure to hit the comments section and let me know.

Before you go, you should check out these 7 most wanted goods this month:

Book of Income (Get an extra $6,840 per year out of your Social Security benefits) [Complementary Book Inside]
Cash for Patriots (Trump’s shocking new plan to help distribute cash to American Patriots)
Cancer Curing Vaccine (U.S. Government Document Admits We’ve Had It Since 1962)
Secret “$50 Marijuana Stock Blueprint” (Turn a single $50 bill into a massive fortune)
Little Black Book (46 Ways to Collect Consistent, Work-Free Income) 
Klebsi Plague (If you were born before 1961 you are at immediate risk)
Marijuana Millionaire Playbook (Now is the time to bet big on Marijuana) [Complementary Book Inside]

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Call it my tribute to the spice that crowns every dish, regardless if it’s a stove-cooked meal or a fancy plateau whipped up by a chef with two Michelin-stars.

Back when I was in college, I needed money so bad, that I was forced to take quite a lot of odd jobs. Who wasn’t, right? One of the oddest, if I can call that, was working as a book salesman in my home town. You’re probably asking yourself right what kind of person would complain about selling books. I, for one, of course, and probably most of my former co-workers.

See, recommending a title to someone or arranging them on the shelves were the easy parts – you still had to haul them by hand or cart from the back. So, right before I told my manager that we could take his job, wrap it in barbed wire and shove in the place where the sun doesn’t and won’t shine, we had a really busy week.

Long story short, I had to haul quite a lot of book-filled crates. Next morning, my back felt so sore, that I could hardly get out of bed. From there it got progressively worse: numbness in the feet, cringy back pain, stuff like that. My doc told me that I had something called lumbar discopathy, a very fancy word for your spinal column being broken.

Although I’ve tried my best to take it easy, sometimes, I can still feel pain shooting down my back. Thanks, college-me for this marvellous gift! I hope you get psoriasis or something. Anyway, many years later, I’ve tried almost any type of back treatment, short of surgery, for my raging back pain – physical therapy, diets, more exercising, less straining, you know, the usual. For a while, I was okay-ish, but when the weather went sore, so did my back.

Finally, after reading tons of stuff on this subject, I happened about a quaint little recipe which, according to the author, can relieve any kind of join, back or knee pain. Sure, I always preferred witchdoctors over MDs, but why the Hell not, I said to myself.

I kid you not when I’m saying as this stuff smells nasty, and it tastes even worse. But, by God, it really does what’s it supposed to do – take away the pain (wish it could do the same to memories).

Now, the recipe I’m about to show you involves three types of seeds and raisins. I know that it sounds like a stomach-churning combo, but give it a chance. Apart from being great at dealing with all sorts of pains and pangs, you can use leftovers to create survival energy bars. You can also eat it for breakfast instead of cereals, poached eggs, pancakes or whatever.

So, here’s the wonder-med I’ve been talking about.

“Dead leaves, seaweed, rotten eggs, too, stir them in my witch’s brew.”

As I’ve mentioned, this recipe calls for three types of seeds: pumpkin, flax, and sesame. The first is held in very high regard among docs and dieticians since they’re packed with an omega-3 fatty acid, known for its anti-inflammatory effect, zinc, copper, and other essential minerals. As for pumpkin seed, they do contain a fair among of omega-3 fatty acids, along with vitamin B1, phosphorus, and selenium.

Sesame seeds are highly recommended for people with brittle bones, and it’s very effective against any type of inflammation. Word of warning though – curb your sesame seeds intake during pregnancy, as high levels can induce preeclampsia.

Raisins, on the other hand, can aid digestion, since their packed with vitamins, fibers, and a shit-load of minerals. You should consider eating more raising if you have an iron deficiency.

Anyway, this is the basis for this wonder cure. You’re still going to need a couple of more stuff though like honey and gelatin. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

  • Honey (two squirts or 200 grams).
  • Gelatin (no more than three tablespoons).
  • Sesame seeds (4 or 5 tablespoons).
  • Flax seeds (8 tablespoons).
  • Pumpkin seeds (a small pack or 40 grams).

How to prepare

I should warn you that this recipe is very challenging. You’ll have to be at a chef’s aide to pull this one off. It calls for extreme concentration, precision, finesse, and knack for balancing the ingredients. Are you for this challenge? Good! Here’s what to do, young padawan.

Step 1. Gather up all your ingredients.

Step 2. Plug in your food processor or blender.

Step 3. Toss everything inside and hit the “pulse” button a couple of times.

Step 4. When the food processor\blender finished chopping the big chunks, switch it to low, and leave the thing alone for a couple of minutes.

Step 5. Switch off the blender, pour the contents inside a bowl, and mix with a spoon or something.

Step 6. Enjoy (or not)!

That’s it! You now know how to prepare the most complicated natural remedy for pains or pangs in the world. About the aspect part – yes, I’m painfully aware of the fact that it looks disgusting, but with the added honey it should taste more or less like semolina pudding. You can eat for breakfast or as an after-dinner dessert; it’s entirely up to you. If there are any leftovers, you can always turn them into survival bars.

It’s super easy: keep your moist ingredients aside and use the dry ones as the basis for your MREs. Add a little bit of milk powder or sugar, mix the batter, add the moist ingredients, and put the bather in the oven. You may want to check my article on how to prepare home-made MREs for additional ingredients and instructions.

So, this simple recipe will help you deal with any kind of pains, back or otherwise. I can’t say for sure how long before it kicks in – can be a couple of days, weeks or even months. In my case, I started feeling a whole lot better after eating this pudding for an entire month.

Anyway, hope you liked my recipe, guys. Hit the comment section to tell me how things turned out for you.

0 Comments

Now, the recipe I’m about to show you is great at dealing with all sorts of pains. It involves 3 types of seeds and raisins. I know that it sounds

Back when I was in college, I needed money so bad, that I was forced to take quite a lot of odd jobs. Who wasn’t, right? One of the oddest, if I can call that, was working as a book salesman in my home town. You’re probably asking yourself right what kind of person would complain about selling books. I, for one, of course, and probably most of my former co-workers.

See, recommending a title to someone or arranging them on the shelves were the easy parts – you still had to haul them by hand or cart from the back. So, right before I told my manager that we could take his job, wrap it in barbed wire and shove in the place where the sun doesn’t and won’t shine, we had a really busy week.

Long story short, I had to haul quite a lot of book-filled crates. The next morning, my back felt so sore, that I could hardly get out of bed. From there it got progressively worse: numbness in the feet, cringy back pain, stuff like that. My doc told me that I had something called lumbar discopathy, a very fancy word for your spinal column being broken.

Although I’ve tried my best to take it easy, sometimes, I can still feel pain shooting down my back. Thanks, college-me for this marvelous gift! I hope you get psoriasis or something. Anyway, many years later, I’ve tried almost any type of back treatment, short of surgery, for my raging back pain – physical therapy, diets, more exercising, less straining, you know, the usual. For a while, I was okay-ish, but when the weather went sore, so did my back.

Finally, after reading tons of stuff on this subject, I happened about a quaint little recipe which, according to the author, can relieve any kind of join, back or knee pain. Sure, I always preferred witchdoctors over MDs, but why the Hell not, I said to myself.

I kid you not when I’m saying as this stuff smells nasty, and it tastes even worse. But, by God, it really does what’s it supposed to do – take away the pain (wish it could do the same to memories).

Now, the recipe I’m about to show you involves three types of seeds and raisins. I know that it sounds like a stomach-churning combo, but give it a chance. Apart from being great at dealing with all sorts of pains and pangs, you can use leftovers to create survival energy bars. You can also eat it for breakfast instead of cereals, poached eggs, pancakes or whatever.

So, here’s the wonder-med I’ve been talking about.

“Dead leaves, seaweed, rotten eggs, too, stir them in my witch’s brew.”

As I’ve mentioned, this recipe calls for three types of seeds: pumpkin, flax, and sesame. The first is held in very high regard among docs and dieticians since they’re packed with an omega-3 fatty acid, known for its anti-inflammatory effect, zinc, copper, and other essential minerals. As for pumpkin seed, they do contain a fair among of omega-3 fatty acids, along with vitamin B1, phosphorus, and selenium.

Sesame seeds are highly recommended for people with brittle bones, and it’s very effective against any type of inflammation. Word of warning though – curb your sesame seeds intake during pregnancy, as high levels can induce preeclampsia.

Raisins, on the other hand, can aid digestion, since their packed with vitamins, fibers, and a shit-load of minerals. You should consider eating more raising if you have an iron deficiency.

Anyway, this is the basis for this wonder cure. You’re still going to need a couple of more stuff though like honey and gelatin. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

  • Honey (two squirts or 200 grams).
  • Gelatin (no more than three tablespoons).
  • Sesame seeds (4 or 5 tablespoons).
  • Flax seeds (8 tablespoons).
  • Pumpkin seeds (a small pack or 40 grams).

How to prepare

I should warn you that this recipe is very challenging. You’ll have to be at a chef’s aide to pull this one-off. It calls for extreme concentration, precision, finesse, and a knack for balancing the ingredients. Are you for this challenge? Good! Here’s what to do, young padawan.

Step 1. Gather up all your ingredients.

Step 2. Plug in your food processor or blender.

Step 3. Toss everything inside and hit the “pulse” button a couple of times.

Step 4. When the food processor\blender finished chopping the big chunks, switch it to low, and leave the thing alone for a couple of minutes.

Step 5. Switch off the blender, pour the contents inside a bowl, and mix with a spoon or something.

Step 6. Enjoy (or not)!

That’s it! You now know how to prepare the most complicated natural remedy for pains or pangs in the world. About the aspect part – yes, I’m painfully aware of the fact that it looks disgusting, but with the added honey it should taste more or less like semolina pudding. You can eat for breakfast or as an after-dinner dessert; it’s entirely up to you. If there are any leftovers, you can always turn them into survival bars.

It’s super easy: keep your moist ingredients aside and use the dry ones as the basis for your MREs. Add a little bit of milk powder or sugar, mix the batter, add the moist ingredients, and put the batter in the oven. You may want to check my article on how to prepare home-made MREs for additional ingredients and instructions.

So, this simple recipe will help you deal with any kind of pains, back or otherwise. I can’t say for sure how long before it kicks in – can be a couple of days, weeks or even months. In my case, I started feeling a whole lot better after eating this pudding for an entire month.

Anyway, hope you liked my recipe, guys. Hit the comment section to tell me how things turned out for you.

0 Comments

Now, the recipe I’m about to show you is great at dealing with all sorts of pains. It involves 3 types of seeds and raisins. I know that it sounds

Knees are weak; palms are sweaty… Just one of those passing migraines that have the habit of ruining a perfectly good day. As one who had to deal with migraines for the past couple of years, popping pills has become something of a hobby for yours truly.

And even my prescription meds, I can’t seem to shake loose those annoying and throbbing aches.

Anyway, after seeing that marvelous piece on the effects of garlic inside the ear ! I’ve decided to let you on a little prepping secret: salt cures migraines! What? You can’t be serious.

Yes, I am. You mean the same stuff that makes our ticker go haywire can actually cure a frigging migraine? Yup, that’s right. Wouldn’t have written about it if I had even the slightest doubt about it. Even tried it out me to see if works, and it does. Dunno if its placebo or the real McCoy, but the thing is that my migraines are getting less, well, migrainy.

Still, before showing you this neat little trick, let’s get sciency a bit and talk about the connection between sodium (salt) and migraines.

Salt and Migraines Don’t Click! Or do They?

Let’s consider the basics – we need electrolytes in order to live, breath, and thrive; no, you’re going to drink Gatorade instead of water because it contains electrolytes. Think of these substances as the body’s electricity conductors. Their job is to balance the fluids that flow between the outside and the inside of our cells.

As you’ve probably guessed it, sodium is an electrolyte. The most important one at the that. Potassium is also an electrolyte. Now, the interaction between sodium and potassium creates what it’s called an action potential, which is another fancy word for electrical stimulation. This prompts our cells to wake up and do what they’re supposed to do. More or less, it’s like prodding a stubborn cow with one of those electrical batons to make it move.

Our bodies, like the perfect little machines they are, have this innate ability to auto-balance sodium level, but only to a certain degree. Too little sodium and you get kick-ass symptoms like fatigue, hallucinations, headaches, and, yes migraines. On the other hand, low levels of sodium lead to more debilitating symptoms like seizures, coma, and, of course, meeting Lady Scythe. Lovely, isn’t it? Well, that’s it for sodium. But what about migraines?

Well, if you had one before, then you know that it’s something much worse then a headache. For the others, migraine is the, let’s say, the lovechild of headaches and extreme nausea.

Migraines end in throbbing headaches, but they’re usually accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, change of vision (your eyes are unable to focus that well), and numbness in the arms, legs, and feet. In some people, migraines can cause hypersensitivity to light (master, don’t come out! The sun’s still up), irritability, and loss of appetite.

I usually end up spending the rest of the day in my attic, listening to some tunes, each time the migraine hits.

Great info, but what’s the connection? Hold your britches. Here’s what you need to know. Among the most common causes of migraines is lack of sleep, dehydration, too much salt, stress, food additives, weather changes, and, bam, electrolyte imbalance.

Though the exact relationship between sodium and migraines has yet to be determined, the guys in cool lab coats, tend to think that it has very much to do with our diet and how our body processes vits, minerals, and nutrients. Our body cannot produce salt, so we need to get it from somewhere else (food and drinks).

The sad part is that although we try our best to curb our salt intake since it’s known to lead to cardiovascular disease, we end up eating more salt than the recommended daily dose. Why? Because our f-ing food is riddled with it. Everything from meat to dairy, sweets, and processed food contains more salt than a saline quarry.

You know what’s the recommended salt intake? 2300 mg – that’s about three-quarters of a teaspoon. Still, with all this wondrous food around, we end up eating one and a half teaspoons of salt per day, if not more.

So how does this amount to salt being good for migraines? Well, some researchers have found out that patients who consumed a small amount of salt were less likely to experience debilitating migraine symptoms compared to those on low sodium diets or no salt. Again, they don’t know for sure why it happens, but it seems to pay off. I tried this cure a couple of times, and it worked like magic.

My take on pain meds

So, to get rid of those migraines here’s what you will need to do. Grab an empty glass, a lemon, salt, and a jug of water. Squeeze the lemon juice, pour it in the glass, then add one tablespoon of salt and water. Stir and shake. Drink it, and that’s basically it. In 30 minutes, tops, you’ll feel like a new man or woman. That’s it – simplicity itself laid out in front of you.

One word of caution, though. If you have heart or kidney issues, I wouldn’t advise using this trick, since it can lead to other nasty entanglements.

You can also use the same mixture of other hygienic purposes. For instance, if you eliminate the lemon, the water-and-salt mix is great for reducing throat swelling. Also, those who have gland problems (another fancy word for smelly feet or armpits), try washing the aforementioned body parts in water with a little bit of Epsom salts. Stay safe!

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Well, if you had one before, then you know that it’s something much worse then a headache. For the others, migraine is the, let’s say, the lovechild of headaches and

In modern times we have become accustomed to medication and healing being only a phone call away. It wasn’t that long ago that we were much more vulnerable to disease. In 1800 43% of children died before their 5th birthday. Its a staggering stat.

This should act as a reminder that without modern medicine the elderly and the young suffer and die on a regular basis. The young and healthy are also subject to the same fate. We have seen modern medicine come to a screeching halt after major hurricanes and other powerful natural disasters.

Of course, these are temporary issues but imagine a world where the medicine runs out, the doctors leave, and you are left to fend for yourself. Could you become the physician and healer in your own family?

Medical Preparedness

Our powerful and effective pharmaceutical and medical industries have extended lifespan and created incredible advancements. However, that power is something of a double-edged sword. Its has also created dependency.

Most Americans have a box of band aids and some OTC medicines in their cabinets. That is the extent of medical preparations. This can be a big problem if we see a time of long-term calamity. Most people think about empty shelves and they get hungry.

Food isn’t the only thing that will go away. All medications, bandages, ointments and other first aid related materials will be gone, as well. Everything must be shipped into your community by trucks and if those roads are obstructed or trucks left inoperable you will literally have to get by with what you have on hand right now.

Can you imagine cutting yourself and worrying about dying from infection?

This will be the situation in a world where waste management is offline, and plumbing is compromised. To be blunt there will be trash and feces in the streets! Next come the pests and they bring disease and viruses.

You need a serious stockpile of medical and first aid preps to assure you are ready for the worst-case scenario.

Natural Healing

You can also leverage the world of natural healing to help with the trials of serious disaster.

Medicinal Herbs

Many plants have powerful healing benefits. Therefore, many preppers dedicate large spaces in their garden to growing herbs. Many herbs have culinary and medicinal uses. Things like oregano have powerful antibacterial properties.

Essential Oils

By taking many of these powerful herbs and pulling the essence out of those herbs and plants you get powerful medicines that can be used and blended in all sorts of ways. Essential oils are a tough thing to recreate but a small stockpile can address everything from allergies to wound healing and even boost immunity.

Trees

The secret of the survival world are the trees. Trees are an incredible resource, but they take some time to learn. Some trees are even painkillers and fever reducers! The best part about these trees is that they are around for all four seasons. That is big!

While gardens die off and wild plants get buried by snow, trees carry on. You can drink the immune boosting pine needle tea 365 days a year and get those benefits.

Learning about the healing powers of trees is essential.

Medical Library

Having the right books on hand to create a medical library can also make a huge difference if the medical system is compromised. Having some high-quality medical resources will give you a tangible resource that you are going to turn to in the worst-case scenario.

If you are looking to get the full health preparedness spectrum covered, you may want to check The Lost Book Of Remedies!

Not too long ago I needed treatment for a minor skin condition. I’m insured, but the copayment still put a dent in my budget. Just a couple of days after this costly incident, I found out that I could have used a stinging nettle tincture. And next time I will, for sure.

Now imagine you weren’t insured and had to pay the full cost. Maybe you have kids to care for too, and money’s tight. Are you going to pay, or just suffer? A lot of people just suffer, but there’s no need to. Four or five generations ago everyone had a load of home remedies for things like that.

Follow this link and find out how to take care of your family at no extra cost.

Extra care will do…

One more thing? Learn 1st Aid. It really saves lives.

First Aid Skills

 

Even with a stockpile of resources and a medical library, practiced skills are what truly makes a difference. Your medical library can teach you about procedures and processes but that can never be a substitute for hands on experience with things like CPR and dealing with real medical emergencies in real time.

Most people don’t go to this level because it takes physical work and dedication. However, we are moving into a time when skills like these are no longer going to be options. State agencies offer up free classes on first aid under the CERT program.

These are 8-hour courses and though they are a time investment, you will come away with some serious skills. Of course, it will be up to you to keep those skills sharp.

Trauma classes are also popping up all over the nation. If you decide to jump into one of these, they often cost money and you must be careful about your instructors. Get to know their background and why they are an instructor.

Conclusion

There is a reason medical doctors are in school for so long. There is a lot to learn! There is a lot of practice to be had and experience to gain. If we face a serious collapse of basic services and critical infrastructure its going to disrupt our medical system and you are going to become the family physician.

What will you do when they look to you for answers? Are you prepared to act, are you informed enough to act?

If not, you should consider resources listed above. You should invest in a sturdy medical library and a stockpile of first aid supplies and OTC medications. You could also check out The Lost Book Of Remedies and add that powerful prepping resource to your library, as well.

Surviving a serious disaster is about gaining every advantage you can.

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Of course, these are temporary issues but imagine a world where the medicine runs out, the doctors leave, and you are left to fend for yourself. Could you become the

 

I have three decades experience in trauma ICU care at a level three trauma center (used to be level one was the worst category. That was flipped a few years ago) and recently saw yet another YouTube video where the Israeli bandage was being waved around like it is the savior for all SHTF issues. Quick clot and compression bandages will certainly save lives if applied and monitored correctly. As ever get training for health care needs before you need them and try to get real life training not just videos and books.

However I got to thinking about what I would do with 32 years nursing experience and most of that in trauma if I had a person laid up in bed and was faced with providing hospital care in SHTF and why. It seemed to me the knowledge is not that widely available or known but please, as ever, correct me in the comments below. As ever Doctors are really smart and any advice I give here is intended only for my own use and you should not use any of the advice given unless you have had a smart Doctor agree with it.

Bed Rest

Back in the dawn of time a lot of my surgical and medical patients used to experience sudden cardiac arrest. I was around for as medical science figured out why and how to treat this reasonably common (in the 1970s) complication of bed rest. Deep Vein Thrombosis leading to Pulmonary Embolism (same thing that kills discount airline passengers. Always fly business class!).

Bed rest is an easy prescription especially if the injury is severe. Bed rest is what I love to do when sick and getting me out of bed is hard. However with eight hours of lying around the venous blood flow through the large veins of the legs and calf slows. Pain, fear and lower levels of consciousness will make this worse. Dehydration also encourages the venous blood to slow and thicken deep within the person’s legs and calves.

However many injuries in SHTF might well need bed rest so what can you do?

Low Molecular Heparin injections are really good but you likely will not have any. T.E.D. ™ anti-embolism stockings are a good thing to have in your trauma kit. Reasonably cheap and come in a variety of sizes. You can also use tight bandages wrapped around the legs but honestly they are more likely to cause venous congestion than minimize it. Here is what you should do if you have appropriate stockings or not. Move the legs and the joints carefully trough a range of motion (depends on the injury of course) every one to two hours throughout the stay in bed. Get them up into a chair and make them walk as soon as practical. In the 1960s you got to lie in bed for a week being hand fed if you had a heart attack to minimize cardiac stress. This caused a lot of deaths from embolism! This is also why new mothers get booted out of hospital in hours as well. Beds are very dangerous places if you lie in them for ages. Give a bit of daily Aspirin but read the next section carefully first.

Start gentle laxatives as early as possible and encourage high protein foods and drinks. Monitor their temperature twice a day at the same time of day and consider gram negative antibiotics if they develop even a slight temperature.

Aspirin

Most people are familiar with aspirin. If the person is a child or a baby do not give ever. Rarely it can kill the child. However if you are taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) you should also never take aspirin. Advil, Motrin, Aleve are common pain killers but never, ever take them and aspirin. Take one or the other, never both. If you have asthma try to avoid taking aspirin. The reason is that a severe asthma attack can be triggered by aspirin especially if you have asthma and/or are also taking an NSAID (this is arguable). The aspirin also makes the NSAID ineffective (this is true). Now I know some people are going to be saying “but I have asthma or I took Advil and aspirin and I am fine”. You were lucky and most times you will be lucky but you might not always be lucky. These are rare but fatal complications.

If you are bleeding actively (gushing or oozing blood or bruising under the back- check frequently when you turn the person on bed rest who has had a trauma) never give aspirin. It is an excellent blood thinner which is why small doses if safe should be consider if your person on bed rest can safely swallow. I also have aspirin that absorbs via the mouth for those too ill to swallow liquids safely. Pulmonary embolism is a proven killer of people on bed rest who do not have access to regular injections of low molecular heparin. If you have ulcers, gout, kidney, or liver diseases do not take aspirin. It is to be avoided in hypertension but frankly I consider it too valuable to avoid if primary hypertension unrelated to kidney disease.

Read More: Medicine to Stock up on for When There Is No Doctor

Broken bones should also avoid aspirin for at least three days. A bad femur fracture can cause several liters of blood loss into the tissues. A bad pelvic fracture can easily bleed so much internally they die. If you can use transfusion but battle field transfusion without cross and typing has many risks and is unlikely to be available in SHTF. Even if you have the same blood type there can easily be dramatic and deadly effects from a blood transfusion as incompatibility is not just the blood type. For me if you need a blood transfusion to survive in SHTF you are a gonna anyhow so why bother?

In the third trimester of pregnancy do not take aspirin as both the mom and the baby may well bleed to death during the delivery. Do not use it is you are breast feeding (breast is best and possibly the only option in shtf) as the baby will get dosed and it really is not a good thing. If the aspirin bottle smells strongly of vinegar it may no longer be effective but if it is all you have then take it anyway. Consider researching Willow Tree Bark (and the leaves to some degree). Natural analogue for aspirin and an okay pain killer (beats nothing).

Many people use “baby aspirin” to avoid strokes and heart attacks. This low dose aspirin is expensive, Buy normal aspirin and take half a tablet.

Real Trauma Kits

Elite First Aid Fully Stocked GI Issue Medic Kit Bag, Large

You can buy good trauma kits and Israeli bandages and I would encourage everyone who is trained to use one to have one and plenty of extra supplies but then what? Your friend stopped a bullet in her right leg and it seems the bone is broke judging by the screams when she moves and the bits of hard white stuff sticking out. Step one is to control the bleeding and step two to avoid infection. You slap on the Israeli bandage (likely your will need more than one), use the splint to immobilize the leg, and start her on fish antibiotics.

Then what? She’s going to be laid up for weeks and will take a lot to get her back on her feet. Do you have a bedpan (urinal for the males too slow to dodge bullets) to make washroom times less messy? Do you know how to remake a bed with a person lying in it and to wash them? Back in the 1980s as a student nurse we did these things on each other. These days they do not and their skills show it. Have a night where you try this on a loved one after reading up on how to do it. It is honestly a lot of fun. Can you make and use skin traction to get the bones in a better alignment? Again it is not hard and is easy to do but you need to know how to do it right to avoid crippling them. Do you have electrolyte drinks in large quantities and understand that urine needs to be clear or they are dehydrated? Real trauma kits will let you start intravenous infusions, pick out the bone bits, and suture internally and externally. The focus is on the first hour in prepping but rarely do people think about care the next day, the next week, the next month. Pool shock used to make strong bleach is a great thing to wash the bed sheets and to swab the area around the person who is stuck in bed. Can you make a frame and a hand hoist to let them sit upright frequently and relieve pressure on their bum and back? Pressure ulceration is not fun. Again look up basic nursing and at least have a text book available if you have avoided actual practice.

The one of the best things to get is an Emergency RN and keep him or her in your ‘kit’. An medical Doctor is helpful but they rarely have to do the thinking and creating that the RN has to do and RN who has worked in ED for a couple of decades knows much more than more a ED Fellow.

Fish Antibiotic

These are achieving a fair degree of popularity amongst preppers and for good reason but are you treating a Gram negative or gram positive infection? Generally speaking gram negative infections are more harmful than gram positive ones and tend to be more resistant to antibiotic use. Use penicillin and sulfonamide for gram positive and use streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline for gram negatives. Use ONE for one week or two weeks (look up treatment regimens). Use another if the person is getting worse or is unimproved at the end of the full course of the initial drug.

Other than using gram staining (yes you can but I’d not bother) you need to assume it is a gram negative bacterial infection. These tend to kill more than the positive ones and are more common. If there is zero improvement then consider using a gram positive antibiotic. Gram negative is your go to antibiotic first off except if the bowels and/or stomach has been opened but frankly the person will likely die of sepsis in this case no matter what you do in SHTF. Try gram positive but give nothing by mouth if the bowels and or the stomach have been hit. Can you use a stethoscope and assess bowel sounds? A basic and a useful skill but can you give intravenous fluids and use a nasogastric tube? It gets complex very fast in trauma and stopping the bleeding is vital but there is more than this to ongoing treatment.

If you are thinking of using antibiotics at least take a look at this and realize many fish antibiotics are really not used much in humans anymore as they can cause issues. Still if nothing else then I’d use them. Prepper Princess mentioned she is worried about cholera in SHTF. This is a reasonable worry in SHTF and is likely if you fail to treat all water and food sources as possibly infectious. A quick search uncovered this so fish antibiotics used wisely would be useful. However I would go with doxycycline as a first use in cholera and the other advice on treatment here is highly appropriate to most infections in SHTF. You can and should do this for all infections you think are likely in SHTF and that you wish to treat. A standard drug book is too detailed and confusing for most people.

Within one month of a specific antibiotic not being used the rates of its efficiency start to rise. Store lots of antibiotics especially the gram negative ones as they will work very well after a year or two. Penicillin will again be great for sexually transmitted diseases which will also dramatically return in SHTF. Of course abstinence is the best practice but what else are you going to have to do in the bunker?

Babies

They will come along in SHTF as they have since humans first appeared on the Earth. Do you have contraception and/or methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies? Returning to the 1800s and each fertile woman popping out 10-16 children would happen fast. This Wikipedia article, (I know but it is reasonable) shows that death three to five days after birthing for women will be very common in SHTF. What the article fails to say is death rates were 40-60% for women having their delivery from a Doctor and 5-10% (or lower) from the Midwife in the same maternity ward. The lesson here then and now is wash your hands and forearms in bleach before and after every examination, do not use long sleeves (of note this applies now in health care), have lots of soap and clean water. Scrub clean beds between uses. Basic stuff but easily overlooked.

Babies get sick and die. Always have and always will but most infectious diseases had very little mortality (death rates) prior to antibiotics and vaccines (maternal deaths are the exception here). Chlorinated water, sleeping one person to a bed, quarantine of infectious people, hand washing, and good old fashioned nursing are absolutely critical in SHTF and now to avoid dying for infections. Sure antibiotics have saved millions but we are in the billions.

Hope all of this gives you some food for thought.

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  I have three decades experience in trauma ICU care at a level three trauma center (used to be level one was the worst category. That was flipped a few years

Living with chronic pain, caused by any medical condition whatsoever, is an experience that nobody wants to go through. Unfortunately, there are millions of people that are experiencing chronic pain and wishing they knew how to once and for all get some relief.

We are all familiar with the concept of pain, we all have felt it at some point in our lives whether it was because we have cut our finger or broken our leg, our body has used the concept of pain to inform us that something is not quite right. However, in those examples, as soon as the reason is treated, we get lasting relief from pain. And that is the main difference between acute and chronic pain.

You see, chronic pain does not go away even though the injury has healed. You feel that annoying and challenging chronic pain for months, even years. It can occur as back pain or ankle pain or even a headache.

Chronic pain can be either mild or severe. You can feel it as shooting, burning, squeezing, stinging sensations or as a dull ache. It can lead to decreased appetite, insomnia, depression, and fatigue. And that is why it is essential to be treated appropriately. But what is causing chronic pain to occur?

There are quite a significant number of medical conditions that can lead to chronic pain. However, there are few of those that are occurring more commonly than others. And that is what I am going to talk about.

Let’s discuss these eight medical conditions that are most commonly described as the causes of chronic pain, shall we?

Peripheral Nephropathy – Caused by damage to your peripheral nerves, peripheral nephropathy causes weakness, numbness, and chronic pain usually in the hands and feet to occur. The cause of peripheral nerve damage could be traumatic injuries, metabolic problems, infections, diabetics, etc.

Chronic neuropathic pain can be treated with the use of medications, physical therapy, and massage therapy. You can also try exercising, which has been proven as an efficient way to relieve the pain in this case. Acupuncture has also produced results.

Fibromyalgia – Is a medical condition that causes chronic muscle pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep troubles. Although none of these symptoms can be seen, they do produce a considerable impairment in the patient’s life.

Although we are talking about a chronic pain here, there are a few powerful medications that you can try. And of course, there are the necessary lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet and regular exercise.

Perhaps exercising is the last thing on your mind when you feel your muscles aching. However, activities like swimming, walking, stretching have been proven to help relieve the pain.

Arthritis – With its 100 different types is among the most worrying medical conditions out there. If you gather your information about arthritis, you will soon find out that there is no cure for Arthritis.

All that you can do is perform a few tricks to help relieve the symptoms such as pain, stiffness, inflammation and decreased the range of motion. Once again, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and moderate alcohol intake can help you combat all of these symptoms.

Headache – We ALL know this one. However, when your headache lasts for more than a few hours, then you can consider your problem as a chronic one. And with a persistent headache, depression, vomiting, nausea, and insomnia come as well.

So, what can you do to relieve it? Getting a massage, trying acupuncture and some of the famous herbal remedies for chronic headaches in combination with an active pharmaceutical might be the thing that you are looking for. Hydrate. This, like low-dose aspirin, thins the blood slightly allowing it to more efficiently the areas where the pain is being generated.

Past injuries/surgeries – Can also be the cause of your joint pain. If your surgery is relatively recent, 6 months or less, keep your doctor informed as there are many things that can affect healing. If the surgery was severe – an amputation, then these take much longer to retrain the nervous system to deal with. Again – your doctor. And who among us does not have at least one relative or friend who claims their “fill in the blank” surgery can predict the weather better than their local news source?

Low back pain – This has taken part in everyone’s life at some point. However, for many people, it becomes harder and harder to deal with the more chronic it becomes.

Previous injuries, surgery, arthritis can all be the cause of your chronic back pain. And once again, massage, acupuncture, yoga, physical therapy and, in extreme cases, traction can help you combat your low back pain.

Multiple sclerosis – This has been listed as one of the standard causes of chronic pain. Chronic pain due to multiple sclerosis can be either neuropathic pain, pain due to fatigue and immobility or illness related to a spastic condition. Of course, pharmaceuticals are the best answer to your prayers here, but you can also try the unexpected effects of physical therapy, yoga, and massage therapy as well as some dietary changes.

The curvature of the spine – Such as scoliosis and kyphosis can also be the ones that are causing your chronic pain to occur over and over again. Since you know what is causing your chronic pain, in this case, the trick is working to remove the cause and with that your chronic pain.

But how can you do that, you ask? The best thing that you can do for scoliosis and kyphosis is physical therapy and lots of functional exercises. In the meantime, you can also look to non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and over-the-counter painkillers as well, under the advice of your doctor.

Conclusion

What you need to remember is the fact that you may not have to live with chronic pain even if you are not able to remove its cause once and for all. As you can see, we have listed 8 of the most common causes of chronic pain and explained what you can do to recover from the illness, or at least find some relief. The recurring theme of exercise, eating right and getting enough sleep should not be lost on you.

Additionally, you can try a massage or physical therapy or perhaps even yoga or acupuncture, whatever you choose we hope that it will help you to combat your chronic pain, lessen its severity and bring you some sense of control over your condition.

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Living with chronic pain, caused by any medical condition whatsoever, is an experience that nobody wants to go through. Unfortunately, there are millions of people that are experiencing chronic pain

Starting a blog requires a lot of things. Hard work, perseverance and luck play their own parts in unequal amounts. When I started Final Prepper , one of the first bloggers who was kind enough to link to our site was Dr. James Hubbard from his extremely informative site The Survival Doctor. Dr. Hubbard has been a family doctor for over 30 years and he has been sharing valuable information on his site since at least 2011 so I was honored when we were asked to review his first print book, First Aid: Fundamentals for Survival. First Aid is an extremely important topic and Dr. Hubbard covers a wide range of issues daily on his blog.

Having reference materials in the form of printed books is something that a lot of peppers’ and survivalists recommend. I personally think that every prepper should have their own survival library of books and reference manuals because there may be a day when you can’t get on the internet. There may come a day when everything is fine, but you are miles from a computer and that is when a pocket reference guide like this could save your life.

The book from Dr. Hubbard goes through the basics of first aid from the perspective of someone who can’t call 911. This book won’t teach you how to perform surgery but I think that is what makes this so great. I have several first aid books that go into ridiculous detail on surgery and while I can see the value in that reference if I have all of the supplies and time to learn
everything in there, a book like Dr. Hubbard’s, Fundamentals for Survival cuts to the chase and gives what I think is the most pertinent and important information that the average Joe can learn and use without a lot of fuss to save treat common ailments  that you could find yourself facing in a disaster or even a backyard accident.

 

 

 

 

What I liked

This book is the best I have seen so far at just giving what I consider is the basics of first aid. It is aptly titled “Fundamentals” and Dr. Hubbard has a way of making everything seem very simple, plain-spoken and logical. I really like the way that he gives me what I had searched everywhere for and that was what I needed for a first aid kit. I have several, but they were purchased and I had to build my own kits augmenting them from other kits I purchased. There didn’t seem to be one perfect first aid kit, that didn’t have a ton of Band-Aids as the bulk of the supplies. Fundamentals For Survival breaks the supplies you need down into two categories. Long term Storage and supplies you would need training for. Dr. Hubbard gives you a list and counts of exactly what you need to purchase so you can take this with you to Wal-Mart or go shopping at the local drug store if needed to get most everything you would need (without 200 Band-Aids) for your personal home first aid kit. Like I said, this is all very clearly written with just enough detail to make it easy to follow.

What I didn’t like

I honestly couldn’t find a single thing I didn’t like about this book. The size is perfect for shoving into a backpack or even a side pocket on your cargo pants and the cost is very reasonable at Amazon when I checked.

If you don’t have a decent first aid guide and have been meaning to pick one up, I think you will like Dr. Hubbards, First Aid: Fundamentals For Survival. If you have the complete Merck manual sets and all the surgical instruments and training of a doctor, this isn’t for you. It is a great resource for the rest of us.

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Starting a blog requires a lot of things. Hard work, perseverance and luck play their own parts in unequal amounts. When I started Final Prepper , one of the first

Disaster may strike

What do climate change, an asteroid attack, and a pathogenic pandemic have in common? Aside from each having it’s place within at least one dooms day movie, they are also the first three on a list of nine ways the world could actually end provided by CBN. The list goes on to include fatal fungus, an engineered disease, nuclear war, a robot takeover, and overpopulation. While all of these events are possibilities, many scientists believe that number nine on the list, a snowball effect, is most plausible. If two or three of these things happen in accordance with each other, the effects would be devastating. And that is why being prepared is of the utmost importance.

A Basic Bug Out Bag

In the event of any of these situations perhaps the most important item you will want to have with you is a Bug Out Bag. In case you don’t know what this is, think of it as a large backpack full of everything you might possibly need in a survival situation. While what you pack depends entirely on your own personal needs, there are some essentials that should be in every bag.

  • food and water
  • shelter
  • bedding
  • a heat source
  • personal hygiene essentials
  • survival and self defense tools
  • a communication devise
  • multiple light sources
  • traveling essentials
  • a first aid kit

Bug Out Bag Academy provides a list of 75 items fitting into these categories that can help in building a basic bag; however there is one area where this list is lacking, and that is in medicinal supplies. Having weapons, shelter and food won’t do you much good if you get sick and have no way to treat illness. While there are many modern medicines that can be of aid, there are also ancient Chinese Herbal remedies that can come in handy.

A Brief History of Chinese Medicine

The Chinese began studying natural remedies, as early as the 2 century B.C.E. and by the 12th century A.D. they were experts in everything from acupuncture to herbology. As the years have gone by Chinese scholars have continued to improve upon these ancient methods, bringing us what is today known as Chinese Medicine. This time-tested practice is perfect for a dooms day situation because it focuses on using natural ingredients that can be more easily obtained than western medicine should disaster strike. According to Final Prepper there are seven essential Chinese remedies you should include in your doomsday first aid kit.

Seven Chinese Remedies

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Giant Hyssop

Giant Hyssop – Commonly found in pill form, this herb is a fantastic remedy for any stomach ailment. It can help relieve diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In some cases it has also been used to treat headaches and heat stroke.

White and Red Flower Oils – These two herbal concoctions are useful in soothing a wide range of aches and pains. White flower oil is traditional seen in a balm form, made up of wintergreen, eucalyptus, menthol, peppermint, camphor, and lavender. Its soothing smell helps relieve headache pain and clear the sinuses. Red flower oil consists of menthol and camphor oils and can help ease the pain of arthritis, sore muscles, and seasonal aches and pains.

Jujube Seeds – These seeds come from the delectable jujube fruit, a historically valuable medicinal source as well as a loved part of traditional Chinese cuisine. They can be purchased at any store that specializes in traditional Chinese remedies. When ground into a fine powder over a heat source they are a fantastic cure for insomnia. Already prepared powder can be purchased as well.

Loquat Syrup – This herbal remedy comes in the form of a thick ointment made up of an array of ingredients including apricot seed extract, loquat leaf, licorice root, honey, and white olives. It is commonly used to sooth a sore throat resulting from a cough, cold, or bronchitis. This remedy is especially valuable because it is considered to be safe for children.

yunnan-baiyao-capsules

Yunnan Baiyao

Ching Wan Hung – This red ointment is made of a variety of herbs, including myrrh, lobelia, frankincense, dong quai, quince fruit, beeswax, and sesame oil. It is commonly used to treat skin irritation resulting from first, second, and third degree burns, rashes, bedsores, poison ivy, poison oak, and sunburns. Its distinctive color can stain clothing, so it is important to keep the treated area covered with gauze or some other barrier that is changed daily.

Yunnan Baiyao – Sometimes known as Yunnan paiyao, this powdered herbal combination is fantastic to help stop bleeding and encourage immediate healing. It can also be combined with a small amount of alcohol to treat bruises. The various companies that make this remedy guard their recipes faithfully, however this concoction is known to contain Chinese yam and ginseng.

These seven basic herbal remedies store longer than modern medicine, and are often easier to come by than their western counterparts. They can all be ordered through Solstice Medicine Company along with many other traditional Chinese supplements, remedies and medicines. By including them in your But Out Bag you will ensure that you are prepared for most any first aid situations that may arise.

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Disaster may strike What do climate change, an asteroid attack, and a pathogenic pandemic have in common? Aside from each having it’s place within at least one dooms day movie, they