Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 3, by A.&J. R.

We are focusing on the supplies we will need in order to address the medical issues we are most likely to experience, whether we get to a “Bring Your Own Bandaids” clinic or we have to treat matters on our own. Our lists and discussion goes way beyond the first aid kit, and at the end of each section, we also note essential oils that may be helpful. We’ve already covered some pre-existing conditions and common injuries in Part 1. Let’s continue forward in our six-part article.

Skin

In this section we will take a look at some common skin conditions and injuries and how to treat them.

Hives

Hives are treated quite effectively with the usual anti-histamines like Benadryl, Claritin, and Zyrtec. But they can also be managed with Zantac, Tagamet, and Pepcid. Corticosteroids can be used, if you have them on hand, but these are potentially life-saving medications that should probably be saved for more critical purposes. Essential oils to consider include German chamomile, yarrow, tagetes.

Abscesses

Abscesses are managed by lancing and draining and then keeping the affected area clean and covered. Essential oils to consider include lavender, tea tree, and chamomile.

Cellulitis

Cellulitis, an infection of the soft tissue below the skin surface, will be a different matter. Any break in the skin, whether from cuts or scrapes, bites, cracks that developed from dry skin, et cetera, will allow the bacteria that are normally on the skin to go below and cause infection. Sometimes cellulitis will resolve on its own, but usually antibiotics are needed. This can be a life-threatening infection and should be evaluated by a licensed medical practitioner. Antibiotics generally prescribed for cellulitis (and other) skin infections include augmentin, cephalexin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and doxycycline. Essential oils to consider include lavender, tea tree, and helichrysum.

Dog Bites

Dog bites serious enough to necessitate medical attention affect almost one million Americans each year. Most involve the hands and face. In general, due to the penetrating nature of most bites and the high risk for infection, bites should not be sutured. Antibiotics used for infection are augmentin, penicillin, amoxicillin, doxycycline, and erythromycin. Essential oils to consider are thyme and lavender.

Cat Bites and Scratches

Cat bites and scratches are of particular concern. While superficial scratches are not so likely to become problematic, all deeper scratches and bites should be regarded as potentially infected. Most physicians would advise a preventive antibiotic treatment with augmentin, doxycycline, or erythromycin. Essential oils are again thyme and lavender.

Stings

Bee, wasp, and hornet stings do not represent a significant threat to 97% of the population and are successfully managed with topical anesthetics like lidocaine and oral antihistamines like Benadryl. Cold packs and acetaminophen may help alleviate pain. A little triple antibiotic may help prevent an infection. For the other three percent of people, however, insect stings can produce severe, even life-threatening reactions, especially if multiple stings are involved and even if there isn’t a history of anaphylaxis. They will require stronger doses of antihistamines as well as some epinephrine, preferably in the form of an epi-pen. Natural remedies for localized reactions include a baking soda paste. Essential oils to consider include helichrysum, tea tree, peppermint, lavender.

Impetigo

Impetigo is a skin infection most commonly found in children, usually on the face and extremities. Topical bacitracin or mupirocin (Bactroban) can be used for small areas of infection. Because impetigo is not only contagious to other people but also to other parts of the afflicted individual, the affected area should be covered and strict protection measures taken to prevent spreading the infection. If the infection covers a substantial portion of the body, oral antibiotics such as penicillin may be prescribed. Natural remedies include Gentian violet. Essential oils to consider include lavender, tagetes, myrrh.

Poison Oil, Ivy, and Sumac

Poison ivy, oak, and sumac are best treated with oral and/or topical antihistamines. Natural remedies include apple cider vinegar, baking soda paste, Epsom salt baths, and chamomile tea bag compresses. Essential oils to consider include tea tree, lemon, lavender, peppermint, geranium, and chamomile.

Ringworm and Athlete’s Foot

Ringworm and athlete’s foot are caused by the same fungus. Both are commonly treated with clotrimazole (Lotrimin) and terbinafine (Lamisil), though tolnaftate and miconazole are also options. Fluconazole is used to treat particularly difficult cases. Essential oils to consider include tea tree and lavender.

Vaginal Yeast Infections

Vaginal yeast infections, which commonly arise after taking an antibiotic, are usually treated with clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin). Unfortunately, creams have a shorter shelf life. If you’re going to be placing an antibiotic order anyway, consider adding fluconazole to your list. It’s a little pricey, but only one pill is needed. Natural remedies include unsweetened yogurt, vinegar, cranberry juice, garlic, and Gentian violet. Essential oils to consider include lavender and tea tree.

Upper Respiratory Infections

Colds

In addition to your favorite cold remedies, consider acquiring some Sudafed. It’s still an OTC med, but due to its use in manufacturing methamphetamine, it requires a signature. Unlike many cold remedies, Sudafed works well in treating symptoms of upper and lower respiratory infections. Natural remedies include elderberry tea, licorice tea, Echinacea, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lemon, cayenne. Essential oils to consider include eucalyptus, ginger, thyme, lemon, tea tree, lavender, and peppermint.

Sinusitis

As for other upper respiratory infections or sinusitis, Sudafed and Afrin are the OTC meds of choice for many doctors. If the sinusitis is bacterial (and this is a big if, as most aren’t), antibiotics commonly used are amoxicillin, doxycycline, and cephalexin, among many others. Even if it is a bacterial infection, most people with healthy immune systems can overcome the illness without antibiotics. Essential oils to consider include rosemary, thyme, peppermint, eucalyptus, and geranium.

Coughs

Coughs usually go hand-in-hand with colds. Guaifenesin (Mucinex) is a very effective, very inexpensive expectorant to loosen chest congestion. For non-productive coughs, studies show honey is much more effective in calming a cough and helping children sleep than any OTC meds. If you are fortunate enough to have some Tylenol-3 or Vicodin on hand, ¼ of one pill has enough codeine to be an effective cough suppressant. Essential oils to consider include eucalyptus, thyme, tea tree, and lavender.

Strep Throat

Most of the time, a sore throat is just a sore throat, even if it is really sore and really red. Without a lab test you really can’t know for certain if you have strep throat. Remarkably, experienced physicians are right only 50% of the time when trying to diagnose a strep throat just by looking at it. ***Strep test kits***amazon.com/Preview-Strep-Throat-Testing-P1-S25/dp/B075944FH2/ are available and reliable, but they are a little pricey and have a short shelf life. As strep throat is much more common in children than adults and becomes even less common as we age.

Families with young children may wish to add strep test kits to their supplies. Antibiotics will be precious and you certainly don’t want to use them when they won’t do any good. Antibiotics commonly prescribed include penicillin, amoxicillin, cephalexin (Keflex), and erythromycin. None of the references consulted had any natural remedies or essential oil recommendations for treating strep throat. Some report that colloidal silver works well.

Influenza

Most deaths from influenza are not from the virus itself but rather from bacterial pneumonia, a secondary infection that develops in a virus-weakened immune system. Antibiotics, specifically doxycycline or cephalexin, would be needed in this situation, but they are only going to work on the pneumonia, not the influenza. Limited studies on the efficacy of elderberry extract (Sambucol) suggest that it drastically reduces the severity of symptoms and duration of the illness. Essential oils to consider include tea tree, lavender, thyme, tea tree, eucalyptus.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is more likely to be viral in children. It’s more likely to be bacterial (and therefore, need antibiotics like amoxicillin, doxycycline, or cephalexin) in adults. Essential oils to consider include tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, oregano, and thyme. Kleenex and hand sanitizer will eventually run out. It would be a good idea to store plenty of handkerchiefs. There should be a generous supply of N95 masks for caregivers, and an even more generous supply of dust masks for patients to keep them from spreading droplets through coughs and sneezes to healthy individuals.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Now, let’s take a look at the various gastrointestinal issues that can plague an individual. We will look at traditional treatments and natural remedies, too.

Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting afflict people of all ages due to a wide variety of causes. The symptoms can be treated with OTC meds such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), meclizine, and Pepto-Bismol; Benadryl; and Sea-Bands, which are elastic wristbands with a button that work by acupressure to reduce nausea. They were a lifesaver for me when I experienced severe morning sickness. Natural remedies include raspberry leaf tea, blackberry leaf tea, ginger tea, peppermint tea; honey and garlic; nutmeg. Essential oils to consider include coriander, lavender, ginger, peppermint, cardamom, fennel.

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning occurs 1-6 hours after eating in the case of when food has been left out too long and the bacteria already have multiplied within the food, or 12-72 hours later, when the bacteria producing the toxin have reproduced within the intestines. The body usually handles food poisoning on its own. For more resistant bacteria, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin or azithromycin may be helpful. Natural remedies include castor oil, activated charcoal, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Essential oils to consider include geranium and lavender.

Clostridium Difficile

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) generally occurs in people exposed to other sick individuals (like a hospital or care facility) or people who have very recently taken antibiotics for another illness. The antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in the gut (which is why probiotics are recommended when taking antibiotics), allowing resistant bacteria to grow unhindered. C. diff bacteria produce a toxin that usually causes abdominal cramping, fever, and always diarrhea with an odor a bit different from that of normal diarrhea. Anti-diarrhea medications should not be used; the patient needs to get the C. diff bacteria out of his body ASAP. Lacking metronidazole (or very expensive vancomycin), fecal transplant may help. Don’t want to go there? Store metronidazole. A course of treatment is currently just over seven dollars at All Day Chemist.

Indigestion, GERD, and Ulcers

As we age, we become more likely to suffer from these afflictions. Dietary and lifestyle changes may help mitigate symptoms. Supplements and medications to have on hand include: calcium and magnesium; Tums and Maalox; ranitidine (Zantac), cimetidine (Tagamet), and omeprazole (Prilosec). If the foregoing medications are ineffective, having antibiotics like amoxicillin and (that’s “and”, not “or”; both are needed) metronidazole for treatment of possible H. pylori infection will be appreciated. Natural remedies include apple cider vinegar and baking soda for occasional indigestion, not ulcers; honey, and aloe vera. Essential oils to consider include coriander, cardamom, and dill.

Diverticulitis

Diverticula are small sections in the large intestine that can become blocked, somewhat like the appendix, and the symptoms are similar. Diverticulitis occurs mostly in the middle-aged and elderly and post-collapse will probably be most safely treated with a combination of two antibiotics, such as metronidazole, plus one of the following: ciprofloxacin, Levaquin, amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin), or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Essential oils to consider include peppermint, chamomile, rosemary, and clove.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is most common between the ages of 10 and 30, and about 7% of the U.S. population will experience it. Physicians in Europe have been treating appendicitis with the same combination of antibiotics as listed for diverticulitis. About 25% of the patients still had to have an appendectomy within a year, but 75% did not. So this treatment won’t work for everyone, but it may buy some time, especially if treated early. A few absorbable and non-absorbable sutures and sterile gloves will be desired in case of surgery.

Gallstones

Gallstones today are generally treated by removing the gall bladder, which is not likely to be an option post-collapse. Natural remedies to prevent future attacks include apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, peppermint, turmeric, dandelion root, and ginger. Essential oils to consider include lemon, lime, rosemary, and Melissa.

Constipation

Constipation may occur for any number of reasons, including dehydration, poor diet low in fiber (MREs, anyone?), or antihistamine or opioid use. It is more common in the elderly and anyone taking drying medications. Magnesium supplements can help keep bowel movements regular. Our pediatrician recommended glycerin suppositories and mineral oil for two of our toddlers who frequently suffered from very hard stools. MiraLax, Ex-Lax stool softeners, and enemas are also useful. Essential oils to consider include rosemary, lemon, peppermint, thyme, geranium, and mandarin.

Giardia

Giardia are protozoa found in contaminated water sources or occasionally food, and they are sometimes transferred by close person to person contact. Metronidazole is generally the drug of choice. Natural remedies include grapefruit seed extract. Essential oils to consider include basil, oregano, and clove.

Worms

Pinworms, roundworms, and other helminthic worm infections may rear their ugly heads when proper sanitation in the community diminishes. Pinworms spread by person to person contact, especially among young children, and all close contacts need to be treated. Roundworms develop when contaminated food is eaten. Other, less common worms have their various means of transmission. Albendazole, a veterinary dewormer, can be obtained (for vet use, of course) without a prescription. Natural remedies include pomegranates, papaya, pumpkin seeds, garlic, and grapefruit seed extract. Essential oils to consider include oregano, thyme, clove, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, niaouli, and cinnamon.

Cholera

The aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which hadn’t experienced a cholera epidemic in over a century, resulted in nearly 92,000 cases of cholera within six weeks after it was first identified. Half of these were hospitalized, with a 2-3% mortality rate. Cholera is spread through contaminated water or food, not person to person. Effective antibiotics are doxycycline, azithromycin, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin, and of course, boxes and boxes of gloves will be desired. Interesting tidbits of information: most cholera infections are asymptomatic; people who use antacids and those with blood type O are at greater risk. For more information, see the Haiti Cholera Training Manual: A Full Course for Healthcare Providers. Essential oils to consider include clove and sandalwood.

Typhoid Fever

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella bacteria, currently transmitted through food due to poor hygiene. Historically, it was also transmitted by feces-contaminated water. Most cases resolve on their own; some require ciprofloxacin or doxycycline. Essential oils to consider include thyme, oregano, clove, cinnamon, thieves, peppermint.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be due to a common illness, cholera, or other unfamiliar diseases which will rear their ugly heads in a societal collapse. It can result from antibiotic use, not just because the gut flora has been disturbed, but also because of chemical interactions. OTC medications like loperamide (Imodium) and Pepto-Bismol should be stocked in abundance. (Tablets have a longer shelf life than liquids.) Numerous essential oils to consider include Roman chamomile, ginger, sandalwood, geranium, peppermint, tea tree, among others.

Dysentery

Dysentery is defined as diarrhea with blood, resulting from gastroenteritis. It can be bacterial, viral, protozoan, or parasitic in origin. Because laboratories may not be available to culture specimens for the specific cause, it is advisable to have metronidazole and ciprofloxacin in your supply. Dehydration is the primary concern; supplies for administering IV fluids are also desirable. Essential oils to consider include thyme, lavender, ginger.

Dehydration

Dehydration becomes an issue once a patient has had three liquid stools in a row. Fluid replacement is the remedy, ideally and most easily administered orally. Oral rehydration salt packets can be purchased or you can make your own. (To make your own, combine 6-8 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon salt substitute, and a pinch of baking soda.) Add to one quart of clean water. If the patient is unable to drink, hypodermoclysis, the subcutaneous administration of fluids, can be performed if you have the hypodermic needles and a little training. Administration of intravenous fluids requires special skills; hypodermoclysis does not. You can read more on hypodermoclysis online. Fluids can also be administered rectally using an enema bag. Essential oils to consider include lemon.

Tomorrow, we will look at teeth, eyes, ears, insect-borne diseases, and more.

See also:

• 1 – Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 1, by A.&J. R.
• 2 – Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 2, by A.&J. R.
• 4 – Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 4, by A.&J. R. (Active on 5/11/18)
• 5 – Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 5, by A.&J. R. (Active on 5/12/18)
• 6 – Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 6, by A.&J. R. (Active on 5/13/18)

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been part one of a six part entry for Round 76 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
3. A gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
4. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 76 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.