Category: First Aid/Medical

Letter Re: A Low Tech Aids for Some Sleep Apnea Sufferers

Dear Editor: I suffer sleep disruption and was prescribed apnea treatment. First a CPAP then a BIPAP machine. Neither of those were right for me, so my doctor put me on ProVent nose plugs. These are little disposable stickers with one-way valves, which seal up your nostrils; you can breathe in but are forced to breathe out through your mouth, so you don’t get throat blockage. Not only did they work better for me, but I realized that since they don’t use electricity they’re great for grid-down situations. Score! Their downsides are ongoing availability in a TEOTWAWKI situation, dry throat …


Essential Medical Skills to Acquire – Part 1: Introduction, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

If society collapses and you’re on your own, what medical skills seem the most essential?  The answer likely depends on your age, health status, and stage in life.  For those of child-bearing years, midwifery skills may be paramount.  For those advanced in age, diagnosis and treatment of chronic disease becomes primary.  For the otherwise young and healthy, treatment of injuries and infection tops the list. Our current compartmentalized society has deemed that doctors should perform these tasks, though turf wars abound over what nurses, physician assistants, pharmacist, paramedics, and others should legally be permitted to do.  Recent decades have also …


Letter Re: A Husband and Wife’s Thoughts on The Crunch

My wife, our children and I live on our family’s farm. Our lives are quite unburdened by the daily cares of most folks. We live debt free, have never owned a new car and have never taken a vacation. There’s just simply no other place we’d rather be than home.   We do have quite a few visitors here, with people stopping by to tour the 19th Century era museum and village we have created, or folks coming to the homesteading classes we teach, or neighbors coming for eggs and honey. But, even with the daily company and the rarity of a dinner …


Unassisted Childbirth and VBACs, by Dr. J.E.

I read the article by “American Dad” titled “Prepping and Unassisted Childbirth”, and I must comment on some of his points.  As a “senior” practicing Physician, and an avid closet “Prepper” since the early 1980s, I have often considered the health consequences of a true SHTF scenario.  Only recently has my Family suddenly decided my preparations are not so “far out there” after all, but it has been a lonely quest these many years.  I long ago gave up trying to convince people to look past and through the media hype and actually “see” what is running the world view.  …


Letter Re: Adding Massage to Your Knowledge Base

Sir: Becca makes a great deal of sense with regard to muscle recovery.  It is also my humble opinion, that massage is an essential component in physical therapy for major injuries and for those preppers, such as myself, who suffer from partial disabilities involving muscle issues that are resultant from nerve damage, neuropathy,  and other deep tissue injuries.  As an example, I have had everything from vertebra L3 down to vertebra S1 surgically fused.  While such a fusion, in and of itself, is not considered completely disabling; if you take into account the resulting damage of lesser nerves by the …


Adding Massage to Your Knowledge Base, by Becca, LMT

This article isn’t your normal food and ammo stockpiling type of article.  I believe those things are extremely important or I wouldn’t be reading this blog on a regular basis.  I do, however, believe that this subject matter is as important as stockpiling food, ammo, medical supplies.  Stockpiling our knowledge base may be even more important than stockpiling these other items, because no matter how prepared you are you never know where you will be when the SHTF.  One aspect of your knowledge base that I would like to suggest you increase your stockpile is in the areas of therapeutic …


Guest Article: The Best Free Medical References for Preppers, by Greg Ellifritz

It could evolve as systems are stressed after a natural disaster.  It could be caused by a terrorist attack.  It could even be the result of a societal or economic collapse.  Have you ever thought about what might happen if our current health care system (EMS, Doctors, Hospitals, and Pharmacies) ceased to function normally? What would you do if you couldn’t go to your doctor, all of the hospitals were shut down, all of the pharmacies closed, and no one answered the phone when you called 911?  You would be on your own.  You would have to take care of …


Beyond The Four Pillars, by Adam H.

Obviously it’s fun talking about boom sticks and charging in to save the day. But here are some other items for your consideration for the other 23 hours in the day when the castle is not under siege: FOOD & WATER – Your body can last 30 days without food, and only 3 days without water. What are you doing to secure a minimum of a gallon/day for each member of your family. Remember, in a grid down scenario, it will NOT take long for industrious groups to recognize that water will be more valuable than gold. Plan on making …


Preparedness as a Disabled Individual, by Barbara H.

Disability has many faces and people with disabilities come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are born with a disability or become disabled at some point in your life, learning to survive “differently” than able bodied persons is a challenge. Life in general is geared for those who are strong in mind, body and spirit. Having a disability, whatever it is, does not mean that you are less of a person or unable to have a good life, or survive catastrophe should it occur. Our Disabled Veterans would surely agree since some of their injuries are visible and some …


Letter Re: DMSO — Pain Relief Without a Prescription?

James: I read with interest Dr. Koelker’s article/letter regarding DSMO and its pain killing effects and would like share my own personal experiences with it since I am an alternative health care practitioner (not a doctor). First, DSMO is a by product of the paper industry and yes, horse people have used this for years with excellent results. Outside of this country and within the US some doctors use it by injection directly into the joints with amazing results. A quick google search will bear this statement out. In my own experience I have used it topically for muscle problems …


Lessons from Afghanistan, by W.B.

SurvivalBlog is the best in it’s field because it draws upon the different skill sets and experiences of it’s readers. On that note, I would like to offer up my own experience for the benefit of other readers. I am a former Army Infantry Sergeant with combat service in Afghanistan and am currently a private security contractor. I was not a prepper before my service there. However, witnessing a post-collapse environment first hand made me confront some painful realities. I hope to God that my experiences will aid fellow preppers by giving them insight in to one type of collapse …


DMSO: Pain Relief Without a Prescription?, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

A reader of SurvivalBlog wrote to ask whether dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is safe and effective for use in humans. The chemical is well-known in veterinary circles for its soothing effect on swollen, inflamed equine (horse) muscles.  But would it have the same effect on people?  Unrelieved pain is a great fear among survivalists and preppers.  Few have access to narcotics or anesthetics.  Wouldn’t be great if there were a readily available, safe and effective over-the-counter remedy?  That is the primary question with DMSO. What is DMSO anyway?  The chemical dimethyl sulfoxide is a potent solvent, produced as a by-product of …


Survive or Thrive?, by Sarah M.

It was a bright, sunny day. I found myself scaling Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona with my mom, dad and 5 younger siblings (since I am a homeschooler, I have the privilege to visit some very exciting places in the United States. Such was the case this past March). As my family and I were hiking up the hazardous ‘path’, a few thoughts crowded my brain. What if my eight-year-old brother fell or slipped in this pass? What if my nine-year-old sister falls down this slab of rock or my mom passes out? Would I know how to help them? …


Letter Re: Alternatives to Dentists DVD

Hi Jim & Family, SurvivalBlog readers will be interested in this new DVD titled “Alternatives To Dentists“.  It contains very effective techniques for daily hygiene, treating and preventing cavities, even healing abscessed teeth – and how to do this in a grid down, primitive, “no dentist available” scenario.  The presenter is Doug Simons who has been using these techniques for himself and his patients for almost 30 years.  Doug has a bit of a ‘tree hugger’ in him, but the information is solid and well worth having in any survivalists library. You’ll love it. – Greyback Mountain


Advice for Less Able/Disabled Preppers, by M.D.M.

I was born and raised on a farm, lived military and worked all my life, so I am accustomed to hard work and understand the need for a strong physical body. After years of working 10-12 hours a day, I decided to go back to college at nights to get a degree in pastoral studies, so I could keep busy during my ‘retirement’ years. In August, 2005 my life changed with a bad accident, now, disabled and in a wheelchair, my life is upside down and for me it was TEOTWAWKI.  I have always been a prepper and I’m not …