Survival Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rampage throughout the known world, killing close to 100000 and ruining the economies of whole nations. There is no proven treatment, cure, or vaccine, a common but deadly problem whenever a new virus emerges. The lack of an option leaves scientists scrambling to find a medicine that works, immediately if not sooner. Dr. Joe Alton discusses a new treatment using an old anti-malarial drug, an antibiotic, and zinc. In infectious disease outbreaks, mundane chores like food shopping may become much more exciting (but not in a good way).  Yet, these activities are necessary to keep a family going. How can you avoid getting infected in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic? Joe Alton MD discusses CDC opinions and gives some of his own. Plus, how to deal with laundry if you're taking care of a COVID-19 patient at home. Guidelines exist that will decrease the chances of infection. Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe Alton MD Hey, learn more about viral diseas

COVID-19 tests are now available in larger numbers in the U.S. and the numbers of positives are jumping as a result. That means that it’s the testing that identifying the numbers that are there already, not that there are necessarily factors that are making the virus more contagious. Dr. Joe Alton and Amy Alton ARNP discuss numbers relating to cases and death rates, plus what it will take for Chloroquine, alone or in combination with other drugs or minerals, to be considered an effective remedy against the virus.  Plus, a discussion of official guidelines for caring of COVID-19 patients at home. Yes, even the government understands that overcrowded and understaffed hospitals may not be the best place for some of the milder cases of COVID-19, so they've put together advice that will help the home caregiver give sick patients the best chance of recovery. All this and more on the latest Survival Medicine Podcast with Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad,   The Alton

Well, we’re in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., with close to 1000 cases and 30 deaths. Other countries like Iran, Italy are a lot worse off, but the U.S. hasn’t hit its peak, and probably we can expect thousands and maybe tens of thousands more. Old folks like me are advised to stay away from crowds, and we might have to deal with more restrictions before things get better. All because of a bug that’s measured in billionths of a inch…How did we first figure out that viruses exist? Dr. Joe Alton takes you through the first scientific steps to identifying a major killer all the way to the current pandemic. All that and more in the latest Survival Medicine Podcast with Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad!  Don't forget to check out Nurse Amy's entire line of medical kits, personal protection gear, and individual supplies at store.doomandbloom.net!  

In the last few weeks, we have found ourselves challenged by a new virus from a family that is known for being very unfriendly to humans: Coronaviridae. The coronavirus family mostly causes common colds, with four different strains accounting for 15% of more cases reported worldwide. Until very late 2019, there were only two other known coronavirus strains: SARS and MERS. These viruses, however, didn’t just give you a cold; they could kill you. Now, the current virus, called SARS-CoV2, is making the rounds of more than 60 countries and the disease it causes (COVID-1he9) is causing community-wide outbreaks in multiple regions of the globe. Amy returns from her Mystical Warehouse of Mystery to give her thoughts and to discuss the virus with Dr. Joe Alton. Can we expect more outbreaks? For sure. Can we control it? Maybe. Find out more in the latest episode of the Survival Medical Podcast with Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, The Altons If

The latest viral epidemic has been given an official new name! Instead of 2019-nCoV, it’s now COVID-19. World Health Organization officials wanted a name that doesn’t refer to a geographical location, animals, an individual or a group of people, so I guess they’ll be changing the name of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 one day in the name of political correctness. That’s ok, since that flu didn’t start in Spain but in Asia. Now you know there’s someone who being paid a salary to come up with catchy names for viral epidemics. There are currently 60,000 confirmed cases, almost all in China. 60,000 cases, that is, if you believe the Chinese government. It’s obvious that there are several times the amount of cases. Dr. Joe Alton puts the number likely to be well in the hundreds of thousands, and it could end up with millions of people getting sick. Dr. Alton tells you his thoughts in this podcast. Plus, what about COVID-19 in animals? Theories of viral lab accidents or deliberate release aside, there are coron

Unless you just got back from a trip to Mars, you probably know that there’s an epidemic going on in China. I first reported on it briefly in my article on “A new pneumonia” on Jan. 7, 2020, when there were only 60 known cases of an infection of unknown origin. It turned out to be a virus. Viruses are tiny, much smaller than bacteria, and barely meet the definition of a living organism as it must enter the cells of a host to activate and reproduce. Yet, they are able to cause the downfall of organisms much more advanced and complex than they are. This virus is in the family coronaviridiae, or coronaviruses. It's named 2019-nCoV, and it appears to be highly transmissable and kills about 2% of those that are infected. Just in the last 24 hours, there are 2500 new cases.  In this episode, Joe Alton MD (Amy's off making Pandemic kits for store.doomandbloom.net) tells you all about 2019-nCoV and a lot more you don't know about viral epidemics. Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe Alton MD

Survival Medicine Podcast Reports from Yosemite National Park in California reveal that at least 170 visitors and personnel have experienced a mysterious intestinal ailment. Lab studies have identified a virus called “Norovirus” as the culprit in at least two cases, with most of the rest consistent with the illness. Find out what you need to know about the most common cause of the stomach flu in the U.S. Also, Dr. Alton discusses the first new antiviral flu drug approved by the FDA in years: Xofluza. Xofluza is a one-day treatment that is meant to decrease symptoms and duration of influenza illness. Learn more about a drug that deals with a lot of flu symptoms, usually with one dose. All this and more on the latest Survival Medicine Podcast with Joe and Amy Alton Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Hey, find out about norovirus, the flu and 150 other medical topics in the award-winning Third Edition of the Survival Medicine Handbook, your guide for when help is Not on

Health authorities in China are reporting 60-70 cases of a previously unknown viral pneumonia that has put dozens in the hospital. Officials note that victims exhibit fever up to 105(!), difficulty breathing, and abnormal findings on chest X-rays.   Nothing gets my attention like a mysterious, probably viral, pneumonia showing up in some foreign land. The word “pneumonia” is defined as a lung inflammation usually caused by bacterial or viral infection. Occasionally, fungi or parasites may give rise to it. It’s a very general term and doesn’t identify the specific microbe that’s causing the problem.In the last decade or so, killers like Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have entered the scene.  Dr. Joe Alton discusses the "new pneumonia" and tells you what you need to know about pneumonia in general: symptoms, treatments, how to tell pneumonia from regular flu symptoms, and natural remedies, plus preventative strategies... Wishing you the best of health in

Survival Medicine Podcast You know, the world isn’t getting any safer these days, and that means that, more than ever, you should be prepared for disasters, whether they be natural disasters or man-made. The family medic must assess their level of preparedness well before a disaster occurs, and now is as good a time as any. We refer to this as a "status assessment”. When performing this assessment, a number of questions must be asked and answered that clarify your job description and your level of readiness.   Dr. Alton (aka Bones) and Nurse Amy discuss the survival medic's job description, basic duties, considerations relating to the type of disaster, and misconceptions regarding the number of supplies and people that must be cared for in times of trouble... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe Alton MD     Amy Alton ARNP Hey, don't forget to subscribe to DoomandBloom.net and check out Nurse Amy's entire line of medical kits and individual supplies at store.doomandbloom.net!  

We often talk about trauma and infection, but less so about chronic diseases. We have to face the fact that in some settings, namely those without some of modern medicine’s miracle technology, some people will long-term issues may end up having life spans similar to those of their ancestors a hundred or more years ago. One category of patient that has less options off the grid are those with COPD, also known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis cause real damage to lung tissue from cigarettes and other reasons.Folks with these conditions may have trouble with stamina and work efficiency in tough times, especially in austere settings. In this episode, Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP talk about what you need to know about COPD and what strategies, if any, are helpful for those with severe cough, mucus production, and lack of oxygen intake.  Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Don't forget to check out our HSA/FSA-eligible medical firs

Survival Medicine Podcast #379 Today, we talk about a mosquito-borne illness. What? It’s freezing out there, there’s no mosquitoes! Well, Down here in South Florida, we get outbreaks of tropical infections even in wintertime. A while ago, I wrote about a mosquito-borne virus that strikes warm weather regions: Dengue Fever. At that time, I reported that places as far apart from each other as Singapore, Nicaragua, and Bangladesh had reported Dengue outbreaks. Not since the beginning of the year, but on the same day! This distribution meets the WHO definition of pandemic, characterized by community level outbreaks in different regions.) This week, the Florida Department of Health in Miami issued an alert after two local residents came down with Dengue symptoms, bringing the total to 14 for 2019. These cases were not thought to be contracted in other countries, but locally in the South Florida area. The implication is that local mosquitoes in the area are a reservoir for the disease. Dr. Alton and Nurse Amy di

In the last couple of days, we’ve read about multiple stabbing incidents, one killed a freshman at a NY college, another killed two young men, and others just seem to pop up in the news pretty much all the time. Any incident like this or any kind of natural or man-made disaster puts your people at risk for injury. When it occurs, trauma may be minor or major; penetrating trauma such as stab wounds can be life-threatening, depending on the organs and blood vessels damaged.  In this episode, Joe Alton MD discusses important factors relating to stab wounds and trauma from sharp objects, and how to manage them in the safest way possible in both normal times and survival scenarios... Wishing the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Check out Nurse Amy's entire line of medical kits at store.doomandbloom.net!

This episode is broadcast (poorly) from a hotel room in New Yawk City, where we are visiting one of our daughters who's, well, a city girl. Ignore the police sirens and other "technical difficulties"! Hey, from time to time, old dr. bones or the lovely nurse amy are asked to come on other podcasts, radio shows, and even TV to talk about disaster medical preparedness, and just a few days ago, our good friend Jeff Anderson from Modern Combat and Survival .com asked us to come on his show, which we’ve put on our website if you want to hear the whole show. In addition, he does a little lightning round as well that he calls the 5 in 5, where he asks five questions and the guest has to answer each in a minute or less. You know that it usually takes me a minute just to get a sentence out so it was a real challenge, but I accepted it. Here goes… Plus, a question for Dr. Alton as a member of the Expert Council at Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast about soft tissue infections like cellulitis and more! Wishing you the b

THE SURVIVAL MEDICINE PODCAST #376 Hey, I’ll bet you’ve wondered from time to time if you’re medically prepared enough. Do you have the supplies to deal with the medical issues you’ll face? To know that, you need to know what medical issues you’ll face. In my research, I’ve taken the experience of those in remote locations with limited supplies as guidance. People like medical missionaries  spend months at a time off the grid in communities where infections and injuries occur, and usually assume medical responsibility with very limited equipment. Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP talk about some of those duties, and what you can expect to face in times of trouble. Plus, a basic discussion of infectious diseases caused by bacteria and viruses and how they differ. Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Learn about bacterial infectious diseases and the antibiotics available to the average citizen in Joe Alton MD's book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease". And don't for

Survival Medicine Podcast #375 In survival, the medicines eventually run out no matter how well you’ve prepared if the disaster knock you off the grid for long enough. This is especially true for drugs for which you can only stockpile a limited quantity, simply because they’re too expensive. One item that isn’t too expensive is fish oil, commonly available in supplement or in FDA-approved prescription items. The scientific data shows that they can reduce triglycerides in your blood, a factor in coronary artery disease, and perhaps help in other ways. So what is fish oil and is it of any use off the grid? Should you accumulate it in quantity in your medical storage. That's your decision, but you'll know a lot more about it after listening to Dr. Joe Alton of doomandbloom.net! Also, Dr. Alton answers a question from someone suffering from symptoms similar (but not exactly) to carpal tunnel syndrome. Could he have Guyon's Syndrome instead? Learn about it in this episode of the new-format Survival Medicine Pod

Infectious disease is of major concern in good times or bad, and the family medic must be able to identify some of the deadliest. Having just written a book about infectious diseases and the antibiotics that treat them (Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman’s Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings), we’ve done our research on some of the worst illnesses that can occur even in countries with advanced medical systems. There are infections out there, however, that are often fatal and aren’t in our book, because they can’t be treated with antibiotics. I’m talking about viruses. What are the worst viruses on the planet? Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP, in their new podcast format, give their thoughts on past, present, and future viruses that antibiotics can't cure and could cause a true epidemic apocalypse.... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Hey, don't forget to check out Nurse Amy's Health Savings Account-eligible first aid kits at store.d

After a brief hiatus, Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy try out a new format that removes a lot of the up front "housekeeping" and get to the meat of the medical topic for the week immediately. They plan to put out more frequent shows lasting about 15-20 minutes each and stay on one topic to delve into it more deeply. This week, Dr. Alton discusses the Ebola epidemic from the standpoint of the health workers that are being killed by armed rebels in the area. Even the local population seem to hate medical personnel out of fear and superstition, blaming them for the civil unrest and spread of the epidemic, which was waning at last report. Now, health workers are being told to stay home out of concern for their safety. This situation can be extrapolated to fit survival scenarios. When the group medic is in a hostile situation, what should be their priorities? Dr. Alton and Amy give their thoughts on when good medicine may become bad, even dangerous tactics.... Wishing you the best of health in go

In the midst of a break from their podcast, Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP are interviewed by good friends Glen Tate and Shelby Gallagher from the Prepping 2.0 podcast. The topic is pandemic disease, what infections can become the next major epidemic to push society to the brink, what to do to keep your family safe, and the supplies you'll need to avoid infectious disease from running rampant among your people. Keep an eye out for future podcasts with Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, we'll be back soon! And don't forget to check out our medical kits and supplies at store.doomandbloom.net! Sign up at our website to get special coupon codes for the Thanksgiving shopping days!

A fractured femur or a gunshot wound to the chest are major injuries that affect your chances of survival in disaster settings, but not all injuries are so extreme. “Minor” injuries can also impact the efficiency of a group member off the grid.  Of these, nailbed injuries are some you’ll commonly see. You can imagine that nailbed injuries will be more common when untrained (and perhaps careless) people perform tasks to which they’re not accustomed. Joe and Amy Alton describe various types of trauma and their treatments. The journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) reports that 33.5% of the population lives below an elevation of 100 meters above sea level. That means that there’s a possibility that you might have to abruptly relocate from a home at sea level to a “bug-out” location in the mountains. Too abruptly, though, and you can get sick. Joe Alton MD discusses acute mountain sickness and what to do to prevent and treat it. Also, the second greatest cause of death from protozoal par

#369 SURVIVAL MEDICINE PODCAST The world is on the brink of destruction and you have all your preps together; You’ve got water, food, you can start a campfire, you’ve got your knife or knives, and you’ve provided for the common defense. You can sterilize water, your vehicle ready for the road if you need to go and your ducks are all in a row. Duck is good eating, by the way. Well, how about some baking soda? Joe Alton MD goes solo this week to talk about just some of the medical and other uses of this versatile item. Plus, how to identify, treat, and prevent common trail mishaps like blisters and splinters off the grid. Add to that some news about the invasive species the northern snakehead, which has reared its ugly, well, snakehead, for the first time in Georgia! And Tokyo is hit with a typhoon and an earthquake on the same day! Ouch! Lastly, a history of bacteria and human knowledge, as well as some amazing (and a little scary) development or two with ramifications for our future! All this and more on