Illnes Is Inevitable

Random Thoughts and Concerns about The End of The World as We Know It

Part 9

In any long-term survival situation, the rescue helicopter isn't coming.

Priorities
The Effective Survival Medic, By Joe Alton, M.D., www.doomandbloom.net

After water, food, and shelter, many consider personal defense to be the most important priority in a long-term disaster. They’ve got the beans and bullets, but what many of these rugged survivalists don’t realize is this: You can have all the beans and bullets there are, but it won’t mean a hill of beans unless you have bandages.

Few in your group will be accustomed to performing activities of daily survival like, say, chopping wood for fuel. This fact will lead to injuries, burns, infections, and other medical issues that must be treated. Someone, therefore, must assume the role of survival medic. This person might be you, or someone like you, an average citizen with little formal medical training. In a circumstance where the ambulance is no longer just around the corner, you may be the only medical asset left to your family or group.

When you become the end of the line, medically, how can you be certain that you’ll be an effective caregiver for your people? This is a question that is often asked of speakers on disaster medical preparedness. The success of the survival medic depends on the accumulation of three things: knowledge, training, and supplies. These can be obtained, over time, with effort and dedication.

One thing that isn’t easy for an inexperienced medic to obtain is the ability to avoid feeling squeamish at the sight of blood. It’s a natural fear reaction, like the “fight or flight” mechanism, that causes blood vessels to dilate, blood pressure to drop, and slowing of the heartbeat, all leading to lightheadedness and nausea.

Of course, repeated exposure to blood is one way to become accustomed to it. One medical center director says that his students learn to compartmentalize fear reactions by repeating words or numbers in their head, rocking side to side, tensing and relaxing leg muscles, or even drinking a sugary caffeinated beverage to raise blood pressure, stay hydrated, and avoid low glucose levels (called “hypoglycemia”) that make them feel faint.

Remember: None of what is found in this document is intended to take the place of professional medical advice. If you have a serious illness or injury, and there is medical help nearby, go get help! This information is intended to arm you with valuable information in case there are no medical facilities or doctors around to treat you. If you are lost in the wilderness or you are surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, you need this information.

Personal Health
Health, By Neale Wade, https://confessionsofaliberalgunowner.blogspot.com

If you are injured anywhere on your body, no matter how minor it may seem, it’s important to take it seriously! Even the best prepared survivalist can be brought down by an infected ingrown toenail. You need to stock up on a good first aid kit and plenty of hand sanitizer. A hazmat suit probably wouldn’t hurt.

City sanitation services will be affected resulting in failed municipal sewage systems, so be aware of disease. Garbage pickup and sewer treatment will both be unavailable or intermittent. Trash piles can also give away stockpiles, so dealing with human waste and trash will become your new part-time job.

Keeping wounds clean and covered is an essential part of surviving any emergency. Even when covered, if a wound becomes infected it can be life-threatening if not treated. Proper treatment may not be available, so prevention is very important. Having a basic first aid kit could not only save your life but can help you stay healthy.

The Department of Defense conducted a study that determined many medicines in pill form retain 90% of their potency after the expiration date. Medicines that are biological in nature such as insulin or an EpiPen do expire, and lose their effectiveness. Liquid medicines also quickly degrade after the expiration date.

If a pill is not properly stored, it may become contaminated by something else. The only known instance of toxicity resulting from expired meds was pre-1963 in tetracycline, which caused severe kidney damage. That formula is no longer in use in the United States.

Many common human antibiotics are also used to treat animals. You can buy these antibiotics over the counter without a prescription for your pet. Even though they are the exact same antibiotic humans take and would provide the exact same effect when given in the same dosage. Remember, you can’t use them because it’s illegal.

Designated Medic
The Effective Survival Medic, By Joe Alton, M.D., www.doomandbloom.net

The designated medic must assume many roles besides that of chief medical officer. These include sanitation supervisor, dental technician, medical quartermaster, counselor, and archivist.

As sanitation supervisor, it is your duty to ensure that water is purified, food is prepared properly, and human waste is disposed of appropriately. Failure, for example, to construct an effective latrine could cause infectious disease to run rampant among your people.

If you are worried about a week without power due to a storm, you won’t have to deal with a lot of dental issues. In long-term survival, however, people will have dental issues like broken teeth, abscesses, and toothache that threaten their work efficiency, if not their life. Dental supplies become as important as medical supplies in this scenario.

Let’s say you’ve prepared and have a lot of medical supplies. Who determines when these precious items, many of which will be scarce after a disaster, are dispensed? Who gets the last course of antibiotics? That decision must be clearly defined as yours to make.

In the aftermath of a life-changing catastrophe, anxiety and depression will be more likely to be daily issues than gunfights at the OK corral (I hope). You must be a calm, understanding, confidential presence to keep your people focused on staying alive and productive.

Finally, you must be the archivist for the group. It’s your job to know the history of those for whom you are medically responsible; their illnesses, medications taken, past hospitalizations, allergies, and more. If you anticipate the likely problems you will confront as medic, you can stockpile supplies accordingly.

Speaking of supplies, you will need more than you have currently. You will be responsible for more people that you think. You may be preparing to care for the number of people in your mutual assistance group, but be certain that they will bring relatives or that you will find additional survivors that have skills that would increase your chances for survival. These folks may be useful but will cause additional strain on your medical resources.

Lack of enough supplies for the number of people in your group is the biggest mistake made by the survival medic. You can never have enough; and extras may be valuable barter items. Be wary of kits that claim to be sufficient for 25 or 50 people, as they are often advertised: Just one major hemorrhage can take up the entirety of the bandages in these products. If you doubt this, empty a liter or two of fluid onto the floor and see how many bandages are needed to absorb it.

Although medical supplies may be useful for barter purposes, it is best to conserve them while freely offering to help all who need medical help. Once it is known that you have skills, supplies, and a willingness to help, you’ll become so valuable to others in your community that they will expend resources to protect you.

Another mistake made by the medic is preparing for traumatic injuries while ignoring the lesser issues that can affect work efficiency. Toothaches, foot fungus, and hemorrhoids are just some of the problems that can plague group members and make them less productive.

Still another is the failure of the medic to know what plants and other natural substances in their area might have medicinal benefits. Aloe plants can be helpful for burn care. The green under-bark of willow trees and others contain Salicin, the original ingredient in the first aspirins. Eventually, commercial products will be expended; it’s important to learn what’s in your own backyard that can help you keep your people healthy. Use all the tools in the medical woodshed.

Mindset: It’s important to realize that, as the survival medic, you may not have the luxury of stabilization and evacuation to modern medical facilities. That means that you are responsible for wound care and infectious illness from beginning to end, something even experienced paramedics may not be ready to handle. You must enter the mindset that you are the highest medical resource left, and must deal with issues without the hope of transport for the foreseeable future. It’s important to set up a reasonable sick room or hospital tent to care for your patients.

What medical conditions will the medic be most likely to confront in long-term survival?

Here are some you can expect:

Trauma
Minor Musculoskeletal injuries (sprains and strains)
Minor trauma (lacerations, abrasions, etc.)
Major traumatic injury (fractures, occasional knife and/or gunshot wounds)
Burn injuries
Infections
Respiratory infections (pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza, common colds)
Diarrheal disease (sometimes a community-wide outbreak)
Infected wounds
Minor infections (for example, urinary infections, “pinkeye”)
Lice, Ticks, Mosquitoes, and the diseases they carry
Allergic reactions
Minor (bees, bed bugs, or other insect bites and stings)
Major (anaphylactic shock)
Dental
Toothaches
Broken or knocked-out teeth
Lost fillings
Loose crowns or other dental work
Women’s issues
Pregnancy and delivery
Miscarriage
Birth control

Environment: Your environment will also factor into your effectiveness as a medic. At various times of the year, issues such as heat stroke or exhaustion, hypothermia, and dehydration may be encountered. If you don’t consider the environment, you have made it your enemy, and it’s a formidable one.

All the issues mentioned here can quickly take up everything you have stored to help you function as the medic. Therefore, it just makes common sense to consider preventative measures to avoid headaches and, perhaps, heartaches. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that old saying is never truer than in survival.

It’s important to enforce the use of protective gloves, boots, and eyewear in any situation where injuries might occur. Clothes should be appropriate for the climate at your location. You might not consider these items to be medical supplies, but they can prevent a lot of problems that will take up your time and resources.

Personnel that carry firearms and knives must be trained in their safe use. Prevention extends not only to injuries, but also to infectious disease. When you suspect a group member of being ill, you must make sure that they are isolated from those that are healthy. These concepts may seem obvious to you, but you’ll be surprised (unpleasantly) at how many will forget to take precautions to avoid injuries and infection.

Instinct: There is one last essential characteristic of the successful survival medic: A strong instinct for self-preservation. Although you might want to rush to the aid of the sick and injured, even in the face of hostile fire, you must realize that you are an indispensable asset to your group.

If you frequently place yourself in harm’s way, you will eventually find yourself as the patient more often than you or anyone else would like. Always determine first if you can care for a victim without placing yourself at undue risk. You must abolish all threats; if someone has a gunshot wound, it stands to reason that there’s a guy with a gun out there. Don’t become the next casualty.

Food Safety

How a Quarter Can Tell You If Your Food Went Bad …, By Sheila Pulanco Russell, Facebook post

Protecting yourself and your loved ones, during any emergency situation, should always be your first priority. But perishable items, like meat and dairy products, could be at risk too. If your home loses power your refrigerator and freezer won’t keep your food safe for long.

If you anticipate evacuating your location, such as for a big storm like a hurricane, freeze refrigerated items that you may not be using immediately; like leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry. This will keep them at a safe temperature longer. Purchase or make ice packs and group food together in the freezer to keep it cold longer.

Be sure the freezer thermometer is at or below 0°F and the refrigerator is at or below 40°F. Keep refrigerator/freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if unopened. A full freezer will keep a safe temperature for about 48 hours if unopened or about 24 hours if half full.

Here's an idea that's helpful when you expect to be away more than a few days. Thanks to this simple trick you’ll know if the power went out while you were gone, and if the food in your fridge is still safe to eat.

Before threatening weather arrives place a small cup full of water in your freezer. Once it’s frozen all the way through put a quarter on top of the ice, and leave it there when you head out the door. When you get home pull the frozen cup out of your fridge and check the position of the quarter. The quarter’s location will tell you if the power went out, and whether your food is safe to eat.

Ideally, the quarter is exactly where you left it: If the quarter is on top of the ice, then your freezer’s contents stayed frozen the entire time.  If the quarter has moved to the bottom of the cup, then your food became defrosted while you were gone. If the quarter is in the middle, then your food is likely still OK, since it only partially thawed.

Still, you should throw it out if you have any concerns. If food temperature rises above 41°F for 2 hours or more you should discard it. Remember, When in doubt, throw it out!

Beware
Eight diseases to beware of after the SHTF, By Alan, www.urbansurvivalsite.com

After the SHTF, there are going to be many challenges. Our generation has been spoiled with easy access to clean water and modern medicines that help fight infections. After a major disaster, clean water will be extremely limited, sanitation systems will be down, and waste disposal companies will be closed.

That means there’s going to be a lot of garbage, which attracts all kinds of critters. Without a functioning sewage system and garbage pickup, human waste and trash will pile up fast, spreading diseases. And worst of all, there might not be enough medicine to help everyone who gets sick.

After a major disaster or other event that upsets the world as we know it, diseases that have been eradicated in the United States are very likely to appear again. Poor sanitation, dead bodies and flooding will lend to an unsafe environment, riddled with disease. There are many respiratory and intestinal diseases that appear in today’s world, like the Norovirus or E. coli, but they are rare cases. We don’t give a lot of thought about them because we know we have modern medicine to treat the symptoms.

Disaster will have people desperate for basic supplies like food and water. Water that is contaminated will be everywhere. Medical facilities will not have access to the medicines and disinfectants they have today. Survivors will likely congregate in shelters where a single virus can spread like wildfire in a matter of days due to the confined space and limited sanitation.

This is yet another reason you need to be prepared, so you don’t have to join the masses where disease could be everywhere.

Time Travel
These Are the Diseases That Will Run Rampant …, By Joshua Krause, www.shtfplan.com

People might think that if society collapsed, the most common cause of death would be at the hands of other people. They imagine that the apocalypse will be filled with action packed shootouts and marauding gangs of looters. Obviously, there would be a lot of violence if society collapsed, but the truth of the matter is that violence would be a secondary concern.

Mother nature has plans of her own.

This is evident if you only take a quick look throughout history. During the most tumultuous times in human history, it wasn’t violence that killed the most people, but disease and starvation. Even during war, when violence reached its apex, most of the soldiers didn’t die from violence, and that remained the case until the 20th century. During the American Civil War for instance, for every three soldiers who died on the battlefield, five died of disease.

It’s important to remember that if society were to collapse, it would be tantamount to traveling back in time to when modern amenities didn’t exist. Without those amenities, there are a ton of pathogens that can kill you. So, before you blow your entire prepping budget on guns and body armor, consider some of the many unglorified ways that the collapse of society could cut you down.

Superbugs: The world was a very scary place before the invention of antibiotic medications. Any nick or scratch could lead to an untreatable infection, and communicable diseases often ran rampant.

Nowadays our antibiotics can treat these diseases, although just barely. As various strains of bacteria become immune to these treatments, we’re rapidly approaching a post-antibiotic world that looks an awful lot like the old world.

If society collapses, then these souped up diseases are going to be unleashed without any inhibitions. Tuberculosis, staph, typhoid, strep throat, MRSA, and E. Coli will become all too common.

Water-Related Illness: If society collapses, people are going to suddenly find themselves reliant on local water sources, and unfortunately those water sources are going to be contaminated. Natural ponds and streams are already unsafe to drink, but the same disaster that cuts off your tap is going to make that water even more dangerous.

Without running water, people will be forced to leave their waste in their immediate environment, where it will likely mingle with local water sources. This, among other unsanitary conditions, can cause a whole host of water-borne diseases including gastroenteritis, Hepatitis A, intestinal parasites, Diphtheria, cholera, typhoid, and even polio.

Mosquitoes and Rats: It takes all the might of modern civilization just to keep certain pests in check. But when the garbage trucks stop showing up and the swimming pools turn green, you can bet that the rats and mosquitoes will proliferate like crazy.

And they’ll be carrying diseases that are the stuff of nightmares. Rats will carry the hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and the plague; and in mosquitoes will most likely be carrying dengue fever.

Cold Weather: A lot of people will be forced to go without adequate shelter after the collapse. So, when winter arrives, you’re going to see more weather-related ailments. We’re all very familiar with flu season, but most people don’t realize that cold weather conditions can spawn numerous diseases, most of them respiratory related.

Between the lack of sunlight, people crowding indoors, and the poor circulation caused by cold weather, there will be more cases of strep throat, pneumonia, croup, bronchiolitis, ear infections, and the stomach flu.

To prepare for this, understand that hospitals and medical care may not be available (or too dangerous to get to). You may want to consider storing natural remedies, herbal poultices and tinctures to assist in these cold weather ailments.

Malnutrition: In a roundabout way, malnutrition would probably be the leading cause of disease after the SHTF. That’s because your diet is tightly linked to the quality of your immune system, so if you’re not getting enough calories, protein, vitamins or minerals, you’re more susceptible to every ailment under the sun.

However, malnutrition is most associated with conditions like scurvy, rickets, pellagra, goiters, and beriberi.

Cadavers: The collapse of society would destroy every kind abundance that the modern world provides us, and in return, the only thing that would be in abundance are the dead. Dead bodies, especially the kind that were infected with disease to begin with, pose a serious health threat.

Without a functioning society, and with bodies piling up faster than they can be buried or cremated, these cadavers would litter our towns and cities, and would most likely pose a serious threat to local water supplies.

Disease: Overshadowing many of these medical ailments will be disease. In fact, many believe that disease would be the real killer if the world fell apart and would dwarf the number of casualties caused by violence.

Diseases are opportunists and tend to surface at a time the conditions are right for them to flourish. A long-term emergency would be just the right time, wouldn’t you say? Make sure you have a well-supplied medical closet and a sick room prepared for these issues.

There is a Silver Lining: As bleak as that sounds however, there is a silver lining. Prepping to prevent disease and infection is a lot less intimidating, and a lot more affordable than preparing to face-off against your fellow-man.

In fact, it’s as simple as stocking the general supplies that you should be accumulating anyway. Having plenty of food, toiletries, basic medical supplies, and water purification tools, will go a long way toward keeping you safe from the ravages of disease.

Disease Threats

Seven diseases to be aware of … and how to prevent them, By Robert Rickman, www.besurvival.com

First world countries have access to medicine, fresh and clean water right out of your faucet and pre-made food in the grocery store around the block. When the SHTF, it won’t be so easy. When the SHTF you won’t have access to water or sanitation and hygiene will drop to an all-time low.

Waste disposal companies will be closed resulting to trash all over the place, attracting all kinds of pests. Sanitation systems will be down, which will result into human feces piling up along with the trash. This will result in an inevitable hygiene crisis that will make diseases spread very quickly.

The following diseases aren’t relevant in an everyday situation, but will form a major threat in a survival situation. Be prepared when the SHTF. Remember the symptoms and make sure to what for the symptoms.

The following diseases aren’t really an issue in developed countries, but after the SHTF they will be much more prevalent. Learn the symptoms so you can take immediate action.

Meningitis: Meningitis is dangerous because it can be viral. This forms a great risk where a lot of people are living together. Bacterial meningitis can be contracted via the flu virus. Viral meningitis is spread more easily than bacterial meningitis, but viral meningitis is far less lethal.

Symptoms: Stiff neck, headaches, decreased appetite, nausea and an increased sensitivity to light. A simple way to check this is the glass test.

Vector: TBD

Leptospirosis: Leptospirosis is a bacterium that harms humans by attacking the intestines. Both humans and animals can contract the bacteria, which can lead to disaster. While leptospirosis is not fatal in most of the cases, it can lead to secondary illnesses such as meningitis and kidney failure.

Symptoms: The infection resembles those of the flu, which can make diagnosis difficult without modern technology.

Vector: Humans and animals would be sharing infected water sources, which could lead to a massive outbreak.

West Nile Virus: While it is rare in the U.S., and rarely fatal, there have been cases of this virus spread via mosquito bites. A disaster will lead to sanitation system failures, sanitation systems failures will lead to pools of stagnant water, and stagnant water will lead to a gigantic number of mosquitoes.

Symptoms: Symptoms mimic the flu and is rarely fatal. The elderly and very young are more likely to have a severe response to the virus.

Vector: Mosquitoes will become infected with the virus by biting infected animals, and then pass it to humans.

Typhoid Fever: Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a symptomatic bacterial infection due to Salmonella typhi. This illness should not be taken lightly, as it is an extremely serious condition that can be fatal.

Symptoms: Symptoms may vary from mild to severe and usually begin six to thirty days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several days. Weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, and headaches also commonly occur. Diarrhea and vomiting are uncommon. Some people develop a skin rash with rose colored spots. In severe cases there may be confusion. Without treatment symptoms may last weeks or months.

Vector: Water that has been contaminated with human feces that contains the bacteria is a common source of transmission. It is spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Risk factors include poverty as a result of poor sanitation and poor hygiene.

Other people may carry the bacteria without being affected; however, they are still able to spread the disease to others.

Treatment: Treatment of the disease is with antibiotics such as azithromycin, fluoroquinolones or third generation cephalosporins. Unfortunately, resistance to these antibiotics is making treatment more difficult.

Prevention: Prevention includes access to clean drinking and cooking water, washing hands, and good sanitation practices.

Epidemic Typhus: Also called “camp fever”, “jail fever”, “hospital fever”, “ship fever”, “famine fever”, “putrid fever”, “petechial fever”, “Epidemic louse-borne typhus,” and “louse-borne typhus”, is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters.

Vectors: When lice feed on infected humans, the bacterium grows in the louse’s gut and is excreted in its feces. When an infected louse bites an uninfected human who then scratches the itchy bite, the disease is transmitted as the feces is rubbed into openings in the skin. In one to two weeks symptoms will begin to present themselves.

Symptoms: Symptoms include severe headache, a sustained high fever, cough, rash, severe muscle pain, chills, falling blood pressure, stupor, sensitivity to light, delirium and death. A rash begins on the chest about five days after the fever appears, and spreads to the trunk and extremities. A symptom common to all forms of typhus is a fever which may reach 39 °C (102 °F).

History: Epidemic typhus is thus found most frequently during times of war and deprivation. For example, typhus killed hundreds of thousands of prisoners in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The deteriorating quality of hygiene in camps such as Theresienstadt and Bergen-Belsen created conditions where diseases such as typhus flourished. Situations in the twenty-first century with potential for a typhus epidemic would include refugee camps during a major famine or natural disaster.

Treatment: The infection is treated with antibiotics. Intravenous fluids and oxygen may be needed to stabilize the patient. The mortality rate is 10% to 60%, but is vastly lower (close to zero) if intracellular antibiotics such as tetracycline are used before 8 days. Chloramphenicol is also used.

Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis, also known as “consumption”, is a potentially serious bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs, but can spread to other parts of the body. It is one of the hardest illnesses to diagnose because it imitates a lot of other illnesses.

Symptoms: Symptoms may include chronic cough with blood present, fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, and weakness.

Most infected people won’t develop any symptoms from tuberculosis, because their immune system blocks it out. In a disastrous situation where their immune system does get weakened, tuberculosis would likely become active.

Vector: Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease, and is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, spits, or otherwise spreads respiratory fluid droplets into the air. Anybody with active TB symptoms is contagious.

Tuberculosis is linked to overcrowding and malnutrition. People with poor immune systems are at higher risk. Smokers have nearly twice the risk of contracting TB than non-smokers. Anyone living with an infected person is at high risk of contracting the disease.

Not all people who become infected with Tuberculosis will develop symptoms. Those who do not become ill are diagnosed with “latent TB” and are not contagious.

History: The WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report for 2014 underscored that the highly contagious disease remains the second biggest infectious disease killer.

During WWI, Tuberculosis became a major problem for French, British, and American soldiers. They were living in unhygienic close quarters, often in cold, wet, filthy trenches for long periods of time, exhausted from continuous combat and lack of sleep, and not always well fed.

Throughout history, these same conditions provided the perfect environment for disease. It’s no wonder more soldiers died from disease than war itself.

Treatment: Due to increased antibiotic resistance, TB can be difficult to treat. A 4-drug regimen is the typical course of treatment, alternating the antibiotics over a course of 6 months. Increased side effects make this course of action a gamble. Plenty of rest and proper nutrition are essential until the patient is fully recovered.

Garlic is a strong natural antibiotic, and may be effective in treating drug-resistant Tuberculosis. Hopefully you will never have to test this theory, but garlic oil has been used for ear infections and bronchitis for years. It usually produces a very quick recovery without the need for any additional medications.

A strong oil of garlic can be made by crushing 5-6 garlic cloves in 2 Tbsp olive oil; heat over low until warmed (do not brown), then remove from burner and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Crush the garlic cloves to extract their juices into the oil. Rub the warm garlic oil over the chest, and over the back where the lungs are. Also rub on the bottoms of clean feet, where the oil can get into the bloodstream most quickly. Repeat several times a day. This also works for bronchitis and upper respiratory infections.

Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a virus that can be contracted via contaminated food or water supply.

Symptoms: The symptoms usually consist of pain on the right side of your body, a tired feeling and a lack of appetite. One of the biggest signals of an infection is jaundice; a yellow toned skin and yellow whites of the eyes.

Vector: Hepatitis A gets contracted very easily via contaminated food or water. If a person infected with the virus uses the bathroom, doesn’t wash their hands thoroughly and then prepares food for someone else, the virus can be spread. Even touching another person who then touches their food could result in picking up the virus. It can also be spread through water that has come into contact with infected stool.

Cholera: Cholera is a bacterial disease-causing infection in the intestines, most often spread through dirty water. This disease is caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. Although it is ‘extinct’ in the United States, it could easily return in a situation where the SHTF.

Symptoms: A tell-tale symptom is excess amounts of watery diarrhea lasting for several days. Vomiting may also occur. The diarrhea can be so severe that people become dehydrated within a matter of hours. Symptoms generally appear 2-5 days after exposure. Fever is rare, and should cause suspicion of a secondary infection. Other symptoms are muscle cramps, a rapid heart rate, and a low blood pressure.

Vector: Cholera is spread through water and food contaminated with human feces. Insufficiently cooked crabs, shrimp, oysters and other shellfish, which have the Cholera bacteria on their shells, is another common source. A region struck by infected flood waters can distribute Cholera throughout an entire region, and instantly it into a danger zone.

The source of the contamination is typically other cholera sufferers when their untreated diarrheal discharge is allowed to get into waterways, groundwater or drinking water supplies. Drinking any infected water and eating any foods washed in the water, as well as shellfish living in the affected waterway, can cause a person to contract an infection. Cholera is rarely spread directly from person to person.

History: In 1854, London experienced a terrible outbreak known as The Broad Street cholera outbreak in which 616 people died and three-quarters of the town fled before the disease was contained. It was later discovered that the mother of a child who had contracted cholera elsewhere washed the baby’s dirty diaper in a cesspit only three feet from the town well. The old cesspit leaked into the drinking water, contaminating it and sickening everyone who used the well as a drinking source.

Treatment: Rehydration is key to recovery. An electrolyte solution of 1 liter of boiled water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 6 teaspoons of sugar, and mashed banana for potassium can be used when commercially produced oral rehydration solutions are unavailable.

You can make a homemade electrolyte mix when kids are throwing up and have diarrhea, which uses Black Lava Salt instead of regular table salt. It’s made from sea salt, which is full of trace minerals which are not found in regular table salt, as well as antioxidants, and is infused with activated charcoal which absorbs toxins and flushes them from your system.

If people with cholera are treated quickly and properly, the mortality rate is less than 1%; however, with untreated cholera, the mortality rate rises to 50–60%. For certain genetic strains of cholera, such as the one present during the 2010 epidemic in Haiti and the 2004 outbreak in India, death can occur within two hours of becoming ill.

Prevention isn’t difficult with proper sanitation and clean drinking water. Boiling or filtering water before drinking it or washing food in it will greatly reduce your chances of getting sick. Proper disposal of fecal matter, boiling and/or bleaching the bedding and clothing of sick people, and thorough hand washing of those who encounter sick people is the best way to prevent further spread.

Dysentery: Dysentery is an umbrella term that refers to the symptoms of a bacterial infection or parasite. It is an infection causing inflammation of the intestines and colon, brought about by bacteria, viruses, parasitic worms, and protozoa (single-celled microscopic living organisms).

Symptoms: Symptoms include frequent diarrhea with blood or mucus present, fever, abdominal pain, rapid weight loss, and a feeling of incomplete defecation.

Vector: Dysentery can be contracted by dirty drinking water or improperly (uncooked) food. It can also be spread through contaminated water, and person-to-person through lack of hygiene and sanitation. If an infected person touches a doorknob after using the bathroom without washing their hands, and transfers fecal matter to that knob, a healthy person who comes along and touches the doorknob and then eats without washing their hands will ingest the organism into their digestive tract.

History: When the Cherokees were rounded up, in 1838, and forced along what is now known as the Trail of Tears, dysentery became a major killer to many of the most vulnerable citizens, namely young children and those over 60 years of age.

You might wonder, how could dysentery even become a problem in the wide-open wilderness? An excerpt from Reverend Daniel Sabine Butrick’s journal, who accompanied a band of Cherokees gives us some insight: It sheds light on how the overcrowded conditions, lack of sanitation, and exposure to the weather hastened them to a premature grave.

Treatment: Dysentery is treated with rehydration. If vomiting and diarrhea are so severe that the patient can’t take fluid orally, intravenous fluids should be given.

Access to clean water, proper hygiene, washing of hands after using the bathroom and before eating, thoroughly cooking foods, and washing fresh foods in clean water will help reduce chances of the disease spreading.

MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a contagious antibiotic-resistant strain of staph bacteria which is potentially fatal.

History: MRSA began as a hospital-acquired infection. Anyone confined to a hospital, prison, or nursing home, where patients with open wounds, invasive devices, and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of infection.

Cases of community-acquired strains of MRSA are on the rise, alarming doctors and healthcare professionals.

Prisons, military barracks, and homeless shelters can be crowded and confined, and poor hygiene practices may proliferate, thus putting inhabitants at increased risk of contracting MRSA. Cases of MRSA in such populations were first reported in the United States, and then in Canada. The earliest reports were made by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in US state prisons.

Subsequent reports of a massive rise in skin and soft tissue infections were reported by the CDC in the Los Angeles County Jail system in 2001, and this has continued. In the news media, hundreds of reports of MRSA outbreaks in prisons appeared between 2000 and 2008.

Symptoms: MRSA on the skin can often look like a spider bite. But if the redness spreads, there’s pain and warmth to the touch, if the sore fills with pus or begins draining fluids, and if fever is present, you should suspect a MRSA infection.

Small cuts that turn into a MRSA infection can spread to the joints, heart, lungs, brain, and other organs.

Prevention: To avoid the spread of MRSA, cover your wounds with clean, dry bandages until they’re fully healed to avoid skin-to-skin contact with others. Be sure to wash your hands often to avoid contracting MRSA. Bathe regularly, especially after exercising, don’t share personal hygiene items, sanitize gym/sports equipment, and wear flip-flops in public showers.

Treatment: Manuka honey has been shown to effectively treat MRSA infections. High quality, pure Melaleuca (Tea Tree oil) has also successfully been used.

Without a doubt, the spice turmeric is the very best remedy to take when you have boils, staph infections, or MRSA. Take internally, one teaspoon of turmeric powder in half a cup of warm water three times a day, or take five capsules of turmeric 3x a day.

Continue for several days or more if you have recurring MRSA boils. You will see healing begin within a matter of hours. You do NOT have to touch the boil whatsoever or apply anything topically.

NOTE: Regular high doses of turmeric can lead to dehydration and constipation, so be sure to take the above remedy only when necessary, such as when you begin to see signs of a boil. A single weekly dosage of the remedy is also acceptable at other times as a preventative measure.

NOTE: When you take turmeric internally, you should also take acidophilus or another probiotic to keep your bowl flora healthy.

Another remedy: Mix in a little dish some activated charcoal powder, turmeric powder, few drops of tea tree oil (be sure you’re using a high quality therapeutic grade), and a white willow bark capsule.

This kills the bacteria and takes away the pain while the charcoal draws it out of the system. Rub on sore until healed. This has worked successfully for us on numerous boils. It also helps to take turmeric, activated charcoal, and white willow bark capsules internally as that will fight the toxins released inside the body. Please note that if the person has a high fever (over 102) or if there are red streaks going from the site with their boils they should see a doctor. There may be serious infection going on.

Norovirus: Often referred to as a “stomach bug”, Norovirus is a highly contagious, viral gastroenteritis. Although contracting Norovirus is definitely unpleasant, most people make a full recovery within a couple of days.

Symptoms: Symptoms of Norovirus mainly include nausea, projectile vomiting, watery diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and low-grade fever might also occur (that general “hit by a truck” feeling.)

Prevention: The virus is transmitted through contaminated water and food, person-to-person contact, lack of washing hands/personal hygiene, and contaminated surfaces. Particles of the virus can also be spread through the air by projectile vomiting, or by a toilet flush when vomit or diarrhea is present.

Thorough hand-washing is the best way to prevent Norovirus. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have shown to be less effective against the virus than good old fashioned warm water and soap.

Treatment: Activated charcoal is fantastic for stomach bugs and food poisoning. It acts quickly to absorb toxins and purges them from your body. An electrolyte solution can also be helpful if dehydration is threatening. Homemade bone broth from organically raised beef and chickens is also extremely nourishing. Lots of fluids and rest is important for a quick recovery.

Final Thoughts: The diseases listed above don’t get a lot of attention today, but we need to be prepared for these diseases, we need to know to identify these diseases, and we need to know how to make sure not to spread these diseases.

Make sure you keep your space around you as clean as possible. Rats, insects and more are attracted to areas where they can get food and water easily. They sometimes carry these diseases.

Make sure to cook your foods well and disinfect your water either by cooking it or using purification tabs. Water is the easiest way for diseases, so keep an eye out for floods and filthy water sources.

Stay safe by not risking your life using contaminated drinking water. Food and water will be sparse, but taking the risk by drinking contaminated water will only decrease the chance of survival. If you really must drink contaminated water, try to purify it first by at least boiling it thoroughly.

People will likely team up and camp together, which makes chances for spreading diseases very high. This is yet another reason to be prepared for a survival situation. The lack of sanitation systems, corpses, and flood waters all contribute to spreading of diseases.

In some of the cases above, antibiotics can be used to treat the diseases. Be sure to add them to your prep items.

Purchasing a stockpile of fish antibiotics to use in an emergency would be wrong. However, for those with fish that are in desperate need of medical attention, please note you can even order the antibiotics online from a company with a lab in the US that has a decent privacy policy. Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic mainly used for bacterial infections.

Pandemic

How to deal with diseases in long term survival situations, By Selco, www.shtfschool.com

You may remember the concerns about a possible Ebola pandemic spreading outside of Africa. You can read all sorts of information online, about how religious beliefs and rituals, where people handled bodies without proper knowledge, contributed to its fast spread. They also say that lack of general knowledge about diseases, hygiene, and eating bush meat, along with the lack of training of local medical professionals caused the mess.

They also said that there was no way, no sort of doomsday scenario, where a sick person could get onto regular flight and contaminate everyone, because it spreads through body fluids only, etc.

That may be so … but somewhere near the end of almost every article there is one sentence that goes like this: “so there is clearly no reason for panic”. You may have heard that before; but anytime someone from government, law enforcement, or similar says “there is no reason for panic”, that’s your clue to buy more ammo (food, water, gas masks, etc.).

Just use common sense here. Would media ever say it is time to panic? No! Would they every say it is time to prepare? No, or at least rarely. This would cause chaos because some people would overreact. Not showing up to work anymore could lead to collapse all by itself. Unfortunately, people don’t think for themselves anymore, so the media, to a certain degree, has to keep the people calm. This is how the system works.

Admittedly, panic is bad in any case. Reading how scared some preppers are, with other people in a constant state of emergency makes no sense. We should be preparing to not be in panic mode. Of course, we must stay alert and use common sense: Be prepared but do not panic.

Ebola is scary, and it can become a big problem for sure, but just like sharks kill just about 10 people every year and elephants kill 10 times more, it is often what we perceive as harmless that can cause biggest problems. Survival is a lot about seeing dangers where they are. In this sense you should make sure your bathroom is not slippery because many people die by slipping in shower. Today I write about the regular killers I experienced during my time in war.

Long Term Survival

How to deal with diseases in long term survival situations, By Selco, www.shtfschool.com

Wound Infections: During any SHTF time there will be lots of trouble with wound infections. Everything from minor cuts to bullet wounds have chance to become infected. It does not have to be a big wound to get you into the trouble. When SHTF a small cut can kill (literally).

When treating infected wounds, you use what you have on hand, and over time with less and less resources it becomes simple water cleaning, and local mixtures of things for treating infections. Recipes will vary. Sometimes you may have antibiotics, but mostly you won’t. Results were very random. What worked for one guy sometimes did not work for someone else. Some people died, others became crippled.

For future SHTF scenarios you should learn as much as you can about wound treatment. How to clean and close wound and how to use antibiotics in the proper way.

Remember that simply procedures like wound closing with steri-strips can save you a lot of trouble later: Of course, the more as you know (like suturing, staples, etc.) the better. Do not fall under the influence of movies, for example, a tourniquet is NOT always the best choice for bleeding (mostly it is last).

The simple covering of a wound with sterile 4×4 pads can do miracles for preventing infections. Store normal saline, iodine, peroxide and similar for wound treatment. Learn how to do pain management.

As always, it’s good advice to know how to use what you have; having needles and sutures without knowledge does not make too much sense.

Do not blindly follow advertisements about that “miracle first aid kit” for all SHTF troubles. You may end up with useless stuff in a nice cammo bag. Like in all areas of life today, people try to sell snake oil and miracle solutions. Knowledge is king.

It’s a good idea is to ask your friend who is in the medical field what you’re going to get in that kit, or even better to assemble your own. Of course, there is good stuff around to buy, but be sure to check what you get.

Food (and water) poisoning: You can be sure that sooner or later you will have to deal with this. It is not only dangerous to be crippled with diarrhea and vomiting, because it can kill you, but also it can make you so weak that you cannot perform your duties.

In a SHTF that means that you are too weak to defend yourself, or to go out and gather resources, etc. and that is bad. That’s why groups are important and lone wolfs have the odds against them.

Everyone will probably be poisoned with bad food or water at least once during any prolonged SHTF time. You can deal with it with teas and simply trying to give the person more water than he or she is losing.

There may be casualties of course, mostly the very old or very young.

First line of defense would be hygiene. Be very serious with it always. Plan how to keep yourself and your home (and food and water) clean. It is much better to think more about prevention, by how you store your food and handle it, instead of relying on a great first aid kit to treat the problems.

Mistakes that people often make in the case of diarrhea and vomiting is that they try to consume too much water too fast, which causes more harm than good. Push fluids very slowly and in small amounts. For example, one sip of fluids every 20 minutes or similar, rest, and be careful with water and food intake for the next 24 hours.

Already sick people: I know many people think that a total breakdown of system and total collapse of everything will be about adrenaline, fighting, chaos, and blood.

This may be part of it, but especially in the first weeks, people who lived with small conditions are going to experience them much worse. Think about the small problems you might have at the moment that can become huge if you have to live at a survival level, then add heavy physical work every day, maybe lack of sleep, extreme stress and less hygiene. Problems will be multiplied many times.

For example, an elderly family member has had high blood pressure for years, Even though they are taking their medication and eat healthy, every now and then they end up in an emergency room because their blood pressure goes dangerously up. When SHTF what is the plan to regulate their high blood pressure, and for how long will that stash of pills last? How will their diet suffer?

These people will be the first to go.

One solution might be to regulate his blood pressure today as best as you can, and to increase the stash of medication. Another is to learn everything about alternative means of treating the condition (with herbs if possible). The point is to do all this today, because when SHTF you may not have chance or enough time.

This sounds a bit heartless, but you should also think about how to deal with the people who are against prepping today and how they’re going to react when serious problems replace their normal system of support. Who, in your group, will be angry and cause problems if you decide to leave that sick family member to his or her fate?

The general concept of sanitation should include pest control. In terms of self-protection, fleas, insects of many types, and parasites within food and water sources all need to be considered, as part and parcel of any sanitation effort. A simple mosquito net, for example, is a more effective health preservation mechanism than any vaccination.

In the long run, isolation of all infected individuals, protection of all clean resources, scrupulous attention to maintenance, and the infra-structure used to harvest food and water, storing the same, and cooking the same, will be of paramount importance.

A final suggestion is learning how to make a simple chlorine generator to convert salt water into chlorine.

Hygiene and Sanitation

Seven most likely infections you’ll catch …, By Kendra Lynne, www.thepreperproject.com

We often think of communicable diseases as third world problems. But did you know that within the first three weeks after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina there were reported cases of Cholera, Tuberculosis, Norovirus, and Salmonella? Fortunately, response teams acted quickly enough to keep the diseases from spreading, through proper medical care, but what if no help had come? It could have gotten ugly.

Displacement is a key factor in the spread of communicable diseases, particularly during wars and after natural disasters. When people are evacuated into a densely populated area and/or are forced into crowded living conditions, disease can spread very quickly. When sanitation is lacking, and clean drinking water is scarce, an outbreak of something can almost be guaranteed. We have many examples of exactly what this has looked like throughout history.

Proper Hygiene and Sanitation Are Key:

Crowded living conditions, dirty clothing and bedding, lack of clean drinking water, lack of proper bathroom facilities, and eating with dirty hands all hasten the spread of disease.

Wash your hands after using the bathroom and before eating, purify water from questionable sources, and keep your body and clothing clean. Let’s pray we’re never in a situation where these basic hygiene practices are denied us, because history tells us serious illness will be inevitable.

Supplies to have on hand when the SHTF:

Disposable gloves
Pool shock (to make bleach for disinfecting)
Surgical masks
Lots of soap
Activated charcoal
Salt and sugar to make electrolyte solution (Black Lava Salt is awesome for this.)
16+ Manuka honey
Homemade canned bone broth
Large disposable underpads or Chux pads (puppy training pads will work; to put under sick patients in bed.)
Plastic garbage bags for removing contaminated waste.
Waterproof mattress pads
Antibiotics

What are YOU most concerned about catching when it hits the fan?

Herbal Medicines

Grow Your Own Antibiotics, By Lisa Lynn, www.theprepperproject.com

Grow my own antibiotics? You’re joking, right? If you are imagining someone in a lab coat bent over petri dishes, forget it. Everyday plants, that you can grow in your own backyard, have antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-parasitic compounds.

Many of these are common plants you may already have in your garden. No matter where you live (as long as it’s not Antarctica or Death Valley) you can grow some medicinal plants that just might save your life in a survival situation.

Yarrow helps get rid of parasites: Did you know that soldiers used to carry crushed yarrow as part of their medic kit?  It was great for stuffing into a gunshot wound because of its medicinal value.  We’ve come a long way since then and developed more advanced things for our battle field medic kits, but yarrow would be one still worth keeping around.

Regaining Our Lost Knowledge: Throughout history people have used plants for food, medicine, fuel, fiber, building, and much more. Our ancestors learned all the beneficial uses for the plants around them and passed that information down through the generations. In the last century, with our move away from an agrarian lifestyle, we’ve lost that knowledge and have become dependent on the grocery store, the doctor, and big business to supply all our basic necessities.

If the SHTF and those luxuries are gone, what will you do to treat yourself and your family in the case of injury or illness? If you know where to look, food and medicine is all around you, growing along the roadside, in the woods and fields, even in your lawn (unless you spray with toxic crap).

Perennial onions are easy to grow and a natural antibiotic too!

Don’t Be That Guy: You know, the guy that ends up dead because he didn’t use common sense … don’t be that guy!

Caution: You need to make sure you know what you’re doing before you start munching on the local weeds. It is extremely important to arm yourself with information before you go out looking for free edibles and medicines.

Invest in a good field guide so you know you are harvesting the right plants. Research those plants so you know which parts are safe to use. Make sure they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides or exposed to nasty pollutants. Then, and only then, are you ready to begin collecting plant materials.

Before you get started, keep in mind that some of the plant material listed below should only be used topically, which means on the outside of your body. Don’t eat these plants! Crush them to make a poultice that is applied to external afflictions. Some of the plants are common herbs that we consume in small amounts as flavorings. Just because you can safely consume a sprinkle of thyme in your spaghetti does not mean that you should eat a huge bowlful to treat an infection.

So be careful to use items sparingly if there is a notation such as “Safe in small quantities.” Amounts to use to treat infections or illness are unknown. In an emergency situation, begin by using small amounts first and increase (as long as they are safe to use) as needed.

An Apple a Day: The old saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ actually has some merit.

Many foods contain antimicrobial compounds that help prevent or treat illness. Apples, onions, garlic, basil, thyme, and blueberries all have phytochemicals that kill bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. The list is too extensive to share here. However, here is a list of some common plants and foods that contain antimicrobial chemicals and have been used through the ages as home remedies.

Plants with Antimicrobial Compounds:

Aloe (Aloe barbadensis, Aloe vera) for Corynebacterium, Salmonella, Streptococcus, S. aureus 0 Use small amounts internally, topical.

Apple (Malus sylvestris) general – Safe to use internally or externally.

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) for bacteria, protozoa – Use small amounts internally, topical.

Basil (Berberis vulgaris) for Salmonella, bacteria – Use small amounts internally, topical.

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) for E. coli – Safe for internal or external use.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) for bacteria – Use small amounts internally, topical.

Cranberries (Vaccinium spp.) for bacteria – Safe for internal or external use.

Garlic (Allium sativum) general – Safe for internal or external use.

Ginseng (Panax notoginseng) for E. coli, Sporothrix schenckii, Staphylococcus, Trichophyton – Use small amounts internally.

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) general, Shigella, Vibrio, S. mutans, Viruses – Safe for internal or external use.

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) general – The root is safe for internal or external use.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) for Ascaris, E. coli, M. tuberculosis, S. aureus – Safe for internal use.

Olive oil (Olea europaea) general – Safe for internal or external use.

Onion (Allium cepa) for bacteria, Candida – Safe for internal or external use.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) for general use – Safe for internal or external use.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) for bacteria, fungi – Safe for internal or external use.

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) for viruses, internal parasites – Use small amounts internally, topical.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) for viruses, bacteria, fungi – Use small amounts internally, topical.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) for bacteria, protozoa – Safe for internal use.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) for viruses and parasites – Topical use, can be toxic if taken internally.

Yellow dock (Rumex crispus ) for E. coli, Salmonella, Staph infections – Safe for internal use.

Yellow dock, named for the color of its root, is a good antibiotic you can forage for in the wild.

Garden supplies: You’re probably not a doctor and you probably don’t play one on TV either. However, you are encouraged to learn about the natural remedies in your garden, or out in the fields and woods, that you can forage for and use to treat your family if there is ever a day when medical help is nowhere to be found. Check out the complete list of antimicrobial plants and add it to your survival library.

Make sure you know how to identify and use them properly.

Water

Adapting to Changing Climates, By Peter Suciu, American Survival Guide

The phrase from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, “Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink” is often misquoted in popular culture, but today it carries a new meaning. Clean water is a finite resource, so any long-term preparation should revolve around sustainability of this most precious resource.

On a large scale, access to clean water could be what tips society over the brink in the coming decades. Right now, efforts to prepare on the large scale are falling short.

The strategies have to be diverse; desalination, water reuse and recycling, conservation, and planning for cycles in rainfall and drought. The silent elephants in the room are, of course, growing urban populations, as well as an industrial, water-hungry agriculture.

On a smaller scale, people can prepare by ensuring they have enough water. Key to water storage is having the right container. While water can be purchased in easy-to-store plastic bottles by the caseload, these aren’t ideal for long-term storage. Plastic may not be biodegradable for the most part, but plastic water bottles are photodegradable and will break down quickly if exposed to sunlight.

More importantly with plastics, it is crucial that water is stored in plastic that is truly food-grade safe, so look at the numbers: Food grades are 1, 2, 4 and 5, as well as some bio-plastics that are marked with a 7. Likewise, not all glass is food grade and shouldn’t be used for long-term storage. especially because glass can break and crack as a result of changes in temperature.

The best method for long-term water storage is actually a stainless-steel tank, because these have up to a 40-year life span. When adequately sealed, the water can be stored without fear of contamination. If possible, water should be stored in a dark room and should generally be rotated, because it can have small amounts of contaminants that can compound over time.

Nutrition

Nutrition, By Neale Wade, https://confessionsofaliberalgunowner.blogspot.com

Expiration dates on canned foods should be considered sell-by dates, and not when the food will go bad. Typically, expiration dates are grossly pessimistic estimates of when what’s inside might start to taste less fresh than a new can of food. Products should be usable well beyond their expiration dates.

Store your food in a cool, dry, place, and rotate your stocks. Make sure to check any cans for damage or distortion of their shape before opening. The can’s lid should be flat or slightly concave, not bulged outward, which is usually caused by bacteria. Storing water pouches or a water filter is a best practice.

Food bars are an immediate use, no-cook option, to provide sustaining calories and nutrients. They are intended as a short-term emergency food only, and should only be used until less processed foods closer to a regular diet can be prepared. Purchase emergency food bars advertised as non-thirst provoking, and use with plenty of water to allow for proper digestion.

Percentage daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

	Mayday	Hormel	Kirkland	Cliff Bar	FiberOne
Nutrition Facts	Block	Spam	Powerbar	Powerbar	Powerbar
Expiration	5 years	5 years	1 year	1 year	6 months
Serving Size	3 oz	56 g	60 g	68 g	40 g
# of Servings	6	1	1	1	1
Calories	400	174	190	250	140
Calories from Fat	170	137	60	45	40
Total Fat	18g	15g	7g	5g	4g
Saturated Fat	9g	6g	2.5g	0.5g	2g
Trans Fat	0g	--	0g	0	0g
Polyunsaturated Fat	--	--	--	3g	--
Monosaturated Fat	--	--	--	1g	--
Cholesterol	0mg	39mg	5mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	10g	767mg	170mg	150mg	95mg
Potassium	0mg	128mg	--	240mg	--
Total Carbohydrates	51g	2g	23g	44g	29g
Dietary Fiber	3g	0g	15g	5g	9g
Insoluble Fiber	--	--	--	4g	--
Sugar	15g	--	1g	20g	7g
Other Carbohydrates	--	--	--	19g	--
Protein	7g	7g	21g	10g	2g
Erythritol	--	--	4g	--	--
Biotin	4%	--	--	--	--
Calcium	10%	1%	10%	20%	10%
Copper	4%	3%	--	--	--
Folate	4%	--	--	--	--
Iodine	4%	--	--	--	--
Iron	20%	3%	15%	10%	4%
Magnesium	4%	2%	10%	20%	--
Niacin B3	4%	--	--	10%	--
Pantothenic Acid	4%	--	--	--	--
Phosphorus	4%	--	20%	25%	--
Riboflavin B2	4%	--	--	10%	--
Thiamin B1	4%	--	--	10%	--
Vitamin A	4%	0%	0%	10%	--
Vitamin B12	4%	--	--	10%	--
Vitamin B6	4%	--	--	10%	--
Vitamin C	4%	1%	0%	10%	--
Vitamin D	4%	--	--	15%	--
Vitamin E	4%	--	--	10%	--
Zink	4%	7%	--	--	--

Waste Disposal

Waste Disposal, By Dr. Sterling Silverman, http://www.thenewsurvivalist.com

Don’t dismiss the topic of waste disposal as mundane and unimportant. Certainly, it isn't as sexy as bug out bags or solar cookers. In industrialized societies, most of us take our sewage disposal for granted. We simply flush the toilet and forget about it. But the modern sewage and water treatment facilities that we take for granted today are largely responsible for the increased life spans that we enjoy, and have done more to prevent death and disease than all the doctors, drugs, and hospitals combined!

Throughout history, many millions of people have died from diseases such as cholera and dysentery, acquired from water contaminated by human waste. Even today, per the World Health Organization, water borne diseases are responsible for the deaths of 4,000 children every day! Water contaminated by fecal matter is the single largest cause of disease in the world, and is killing over 4 million people each year with diarrhea and intestinal parasites.

We also take our garbage collection services for granted until our garbage collectors go on strike, and in a matter of days our streets are filled with waste. Many of the great plagues that have struck humankind have been the result of poor sanitation. The Bubonic Plague, or Black Death, which spread from China through Europe during the Middle Ages, was transmitted to humans by fleas which were carried by rodents. The accumulation of garbage in the streets, and the resulting proliferation of rats, contributed largely to the deaths caused by the Black Death. That plague alone wiped out one third of the population of Europe!

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American disposes of 4.6 pounds of garbage every day! What will you do with your garbage when it begins to pile up in the street? What will you do when your sewage backs up because your local municipality can no longer provide the service?

Latrines

Construction of a Latrine, By Dr. Sterling Silverman, http://www.thenewsurvivalist.com

Latrines should be situated and constructed to minimize the risk of groundwater contamination. There should be at least 50 feet (15 meters) between your latrine and any water source, such as a well, stream or lake. If you have a well, locate the latrine on lower ground or "downhill" from it if possible.

It should also be located where it will not be flooded by storm water, which could contaminate any local water supply. The top of the latrine should be raised or built up at least 6 inches (.15 meters) above ground level to prevent rainwater from entering the pit. It should have a tight-fitting lid so insects and animals cannot enter it. Mosquitos will breed in the pit if water accumulates at the bottom. If insects cannot be kept out the excreta should be covered with 4 inches (.1 meter) of soil every two or three days.

Your pit should be 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep. Holes for outhouses with a superstructure over them are normally dug about 3.5 feet (1 meter) square. If your latrine is simply a hole in the ground, you may not want to make it that wide, but you should try to make it deep. Keep it covered with a board that completely covers the pit and is sturdy enough for someone to walk on. Do whatever is necessary to insure people and animals do not fall into the pit.

When the pit fills up, simply dig another one close by and move your latrine or outhouse to the new pit. Use the dirt from the new hole to fill in the old one making a mound on top because it will settle as the waste decomposes. From time to time you will need to add additional dirt as the old pit settles. Be careful to avoid underground utility lines when digging your latrines.

Trauma

The ABCs of Trauma, By James Wesley Rawles, https://survivalblog.com

If you spend any time around things that go bang or twang with any regularity, then you need a trauma kit. The kit you carry does not need to be comprehensive, but it should cover the basics of stopping serious bleeding should there be an accident.

You should take First Aid and CPR training, but to be honest, these classes teach very little. You will need to learn more stuff on your own, especially, how to deal with trauma. Concentrate on your ABCs.

Airway – Breathing – Circulation. Say it again and again and again. No matter how many other medical tidbits you pick up, you will forget everything else but A-B-C when you get caught off-guard by a serious trauma. Focus on the ABCs: Do each one, in order, and then move onto the next.

Airway: Make sure the airway is open. If they are awake and talking, they are breathing. If not, tilt the head back. If there’s blood or vomit in the mouth, get it out of there with your fingers. Get the airway clear. Textbooks will tell you to use a “jaw-thrust” maneuver if there is head or spinal trauma because of the theoretical risk you might dislodge a bone fragment and sever the spinal cord. This is nonsense. If you’ve got a broken neck, you’re not breathing, and there’s no medical help, you’re dead. Don’t screw around. Tilt the head back.

Breathing: If the airway is open and they’re not breathing, there is a reason for it. At this point, you don’t need to worry about what the reason is. You just need to start breathing for them, or they’ll be dead in less than two minutes. With their head tilted back, pinch the nose, open the mouth and blow in two huge breaths. Bonus points: look at their chest. Make sure it’s rising.

Once air is moving in and out, take a closer look at the chest. Is the chest open? Is there a wound/hole? Is it collapsed/caved in? Are there Rice-Krispies (air) under the skin? An unusual hollow sound when you tap with your fingers? Is the wind-pipe (in their neck) shifted away to the other side?

These would suggest a pneumothorax (air outside the lung, but inside the chest). The patient needs a chest tube. If that’s outside your ability, and the patient is having a lot of difficulty breathing, you need to find another way to get the air out of the chest cavity, because it’s putting pressure on the lungs. Keep in mind, if you have to do this, the patient is in trouble. If you don’t know how to do this, get training!

Circulation: If your own pulse is pounding, it’s hard to feel the patient’s pulse. Next time you go for a run (you do work out regularly, right?) practice feeling your pulse while you’re running.

That’s about what it’s like in a trauma. Check the neck. Check the wrist. Really simple: Is there a pulse? This is harder than it sounds. If the patient is cold, low on blood, wet, or thrashing around, and you’re flooding adrenaline through your own veins, one of the harder things to do is say with confidence that something isn’t there. Be sure. Remember: fast is slow, slow is fast. Relax. It’s only life and death.

If there is no pulse, start doing chest-compressions. Get the patient onto something solid, like on the ground or the kitchen table: not a bed or a sofa. Something hard. If you don’t know how to do this, get training!

The Survival Library

The Effective Survival Medic, By Joe Alton, M.D., www.doomandbloom.net

For more resources on becoming an effective caregiver, consider adding these books to your survival library. This is, by no means, a complete list of every book that might be useful in survival situations, but it’s a good start.

The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Medical Help is Not on the Way: Now in its 700 page third edition, our book covers 150 different medical issues that you might face after a disaster eliminates the option of modern medical care. Includes lists of recommended medical supplies and a guide to veterinary antibiotics in post-disaster settings.

The Physician’s Desk Reference: No longer available in print form, this guide to drugs, their uses, dosages, and side effects is still around on Ebay and elsewhere. Includes pictures of individual drugs to help identify unknown meds. Find an edition that’s a year or two old for your survival library.

Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist: Guides for medical and dental care in underdeveloped countries.

Gray’s Anatomy: The classic textbook of human anatomy

The Merck Manual: Classic handbook for diagnosis and treatment

Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine: Standard medical textbook

Remember: None of what is found in this document is intended to take the place of professional medical advice. If you have a serious illness or injury, and there is medical help nearby, go get help!

This information is intended to arm you with valuable information in case there are no medical facilities or doctors around to treat you. If you are lost in the wilderness or you are surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, you need this information.

Caution: If you are not a doctor, you should thoroughly research each medication you plan on stockpiling. Don't consider anything in this document as medical, legal, moral, ethic, or any other form of advice whatsoever. You are responsible for your own safety.

DISCLAIMER: Be aware that, where there is an existing modern medical system, the practice of medicine or dentistry without a license is illegal and punishable by law. If modern medical professionals and facilities exist, seek them out.

More things to think about:

The Effective Survival Medic, By Joe Alton, M.D., www.doomandbloom.ne

In long-term survival situations, the helicopter isn't coming.
Always determine first if you can care for a victim without placing yourself at undue risk.
The survival medic must ensure proper disposal of all waste, including that produced by humans.
When the drugs run out, you'll need to know where to look for natural medicinal benefits.
Some activities required for daily survival can cause significant injuries.
As the survival medic, you might not have the luxury of stabilization and evacuation to modern medical facilities. That means that you are responsible for the care of wounds and infectious illnesses from beginning to end.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". That old saying is never truer than in a survival situation.
When the SHTF, the survival medic will need to deal with dental issues as well.
A good supply of dental supplies is needed for long-term survival scenarios.
Anxiety and depression will be daily challenges for the medic in a survival situation.
Orthopedic injuries will be common occurrences when survivors perform more physical tasks than they are used to and/or prepared for.

Poor water quality will cause infectious disease to run rampant through your team.

It's important to learn what's in your backyard that can help you keep your people healthy. Use all the tools in the medical toolshed.

The survival medic must always be ready and able to improvise treatments.

A field tent is a typical example, but other accommodations can work, as long as they're clean, organized, and meet the needs of the survival group.