Survival Medicine

Ask people about the last pandemic and most will say it was the “Spanish Flu” of 1918-9. Certainly, that outbreak is a well-known example, but pandemics have occurred throughout history. At least three or four are identified every century. It can even be argued that we’ve experienced more than one just in the last few years. We all do our best to serve our families food that’s safe and healthy, but some common myths about food safety might surprise you. We talked about food safety basic like "Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill" a couple of weeks ago, but here are some food safety myths that might surprise you! One of the most common medical issues facing the population today is asthma. Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways, the tubes that transport air to your lungs, making it difficult to breathe.  In the United States alone, there are almost 20 million people who suffer respiratory issues due to asthma and its complications. Indeed, it’s the most common cause of chronic illness in children. In

Upon the passing of President George H. W. Bush, we should remember and honor his military service in World War II as a navy pilot. Having flown 58 missions, Lieutenant Bush was often under enemy fire. On September 2, 1944, his plane was shot down off an island called Chi Chi Jima. He was the only survivor. He swam about 50 yards to a small life raft and fought the currents that would have caused him to make landfall on the island, where he had heard that starving enemy soldiers were making meals of downed pilots. Fortunately, a U.S. plane had spotted him and he was rescued by a submarine several hours later. Most cases of survival at sea, however, are not as fortunate; therefore, it’s important to have an idea of what to do if you find yourself in open water without rapid rescue. Your survival will depend on your ability to stay hydrated, obtain nourishment, and be protected against exposure to wind and temperature extremes. Joe and Amy Alton talk about how to survive at sea when you have a life jacket, w

An outbreak of food poisoning with Escherischia coli (E. coli) has hospitalized 43 people in 11 U.S. states and another 18 in Canada, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency reports no deaths as of yet, although one individual has developed kidney failure. Joe and Amy Alton discuss the increase of multistate outbreaks of food poisoning, signs that issues may be occurring at the processing or even at the farm. Plus, food safety involves four main steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Find out important tips that  could possibly save you a case of food poisoning. Also, Dr. Alton discusses a history of some of the larger pandemics that have occurred through history and how they have changed the course of civilization. All this and more in the latest Survival Medicine Hour Podcast! Follow Joe and Amy on Twitter @preppershow, Facebook on their Doom and Bloom(tm) page, and YouTube at drbonesnurseamy channel!

Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP are pleased to announce their new book: Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings, a plain English guide to veterinary antibiotics and their potential uses to treat infections in survival scenarios (only). Learn about various infectious disease that are common now or will be if things go South. Now available at store.doomandbloom.net or Amazon. Also, when a burn goes through the skin, you've lost your body's armor and can get in real trouble. Dr. Alton talks about a major dilemma for the medic: second and third degree burns. Plus, ingrown nails may not be a big deal, that is, unless you have one and have to do activities of daily survival. Find out more about what to do off the grid. The Altons also talk about the importance of community if you want to succeed when everything else fails. You might be naked, afraid, and alone and still survive, but, boy, it's a miserable existence! All this and more on the

To better understand current events, it’s useful to know the history behind them.  The same can be said of the developments through time that led humans to learn about bacteria. Bacteria have played their part in the evolution of the planet for eons. Fossils of microorganisms have been discovered in stone dating more than 400 million years old. Some argue that primitive bacteria existed almost as far back as the very beginning of Earth’s history. For the majority of their time on Earth, they have been the predominant life form and left their mark, good and bad, on every species that came after them. Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, discuss the history of bacterial infections, human research, and antibiotics in this episode of the Survival  Medicine Hour. Plus, Dr. Alton tell you all you need to know about both kidney and gall bladder stones, two common medical issues that any medic should be prepared to confront in major disasters. The Altons are proud to announce their new book "Alton's Ant

A gunman opened fire on a crowd at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California. The shooter, named Ian David Long, who killed 12 people and himself was a 28 year old former U.S. Marine who may have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the Ventura County sheriff said. Ian David Long, 28, apparently threw smoke bombs and methodically fired into a crowd of more than a hundred people Wednesday night. It should be clear to everyone that there is no place safe from the deranged, disgruntled, or politically-motivated. The number of vehicular attacks and shootings in the last few years indicate that these events have become part of the “New Normal”. Should we just get used to them? Dr. Joe Alton and Amy Alton ARNP say no, and give their thoughts on what might be done to decrease the number of casualties and incidents. Most people have, at some time of their life, run afoul of an ornery dog or cat. There are millions of animal bites every year. Amy and Joe discuss what to do to deal with these dirty wounds in

It’s around Halloween, so I figured I’d tell you a horror story. In centuries past, women married as teenagers and often had 8 to 10 children, that might sound like a horror story to you as it is, but what if I told that the big question was, would that woman survive pregnancy and childbirth at all? It happened in the past, but what if some long-term catastrophe took society to the brink? Illiotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) is caused by a number of factors, primarily being overusing your legs and lack of stretching or warming up. Essentially, the ligament that runs down your thigh and to your shin (the illiotibial band) is what secures your knee in place. Hiking gives a lot of work to this band, but without stretching and pacing, it can become inflamed, causing some pretty impressive discomfort. Dr. Alton discusses this little-known but serious trail injury. Plus, Nurse Amy gets a wasp sting! Find out what she did and what you should do to deal with an ornery insect! All this and more in the latest Survival M

Anyone who has done any hiking like we have or has bought the wrong pair of shoes has experienced a friction blister. For a relatively small soft tissue injury, a blister can certainly cause more than its share of problems. More than one hike has come to a screeching halt because the terrain was more rugged than the footwear could handle. Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr Bones and Nurse Amy, discuss choosing the right pair of hiking boots, plus treating and preventing blisters and splinters. Also, burns can occur in backcountry settings from anything from a campfire to a wildfire. We discuss the "Rule of Nines" to determine burn severity, plus treatment for the three major degrees of injury. All this and more on the latest episode of the Survival Medicine Hour with Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP!   Follow us on twiiter@preppershow, YouTube @drbones nurseamy channel and Facebook on our Doom and Bloom (tm) page! Don't forget to check out our books, dvds,medical kits, and individual items at store.doomandbloom.net

In our upcoming book “Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: A Guide to the Wise Use of Drugs in Austere Settings, we include a section about epidemic infectious diseases that aren’t common now, but will be if a disaster makes it impossible to maintain good hygiene. One of these is typhus, a disease transmitted by body lice, fleas, and ticks. Well, it appears that there’s an epidemic of Typhus right now in the homeless population of Los Angeles county. Downtown's “skid row”, an area where thousands of homeless are concentrated, is being labeled a "typhus zone after more than 90 cases were identified. Find out more in Joe and Amy Alton's report. Also, would medical items be attractive barter items off the grid, or should you stick to silver, gold, and ammo as the classic trade items? Joe Alton MD explains why you may need to rethink your strategy off the grid. Plus, a couple of expert council questions answered by the Altons on Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast as members of his Expert Council, this time

SURVIVAL MEDICINE HOUR PODCAST o our store for HSA-approved medical kits and supplies at store.doomandbloom.net! When modern medical care isn’t available, many deaths would be prevented by the availability of antibiotics in your disaster medicine cabinet. Indeed, you should consider having a supply of these drugs in your storage if you believe a disaster may occur that takes away your access to modern medical care. If you use antibiotics for every minor ailment that comes along, however, you will run out very quickly and may contribute to an epidemic of antibiotic resistance caused by overuse.Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP discuss why the liberal use of antibiotics is not a great idea. Joe and Amy's upcoming book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease" is in formatting and will be out next month. Find out what you'll learn that might save lives in times of trouble. Even in bad times, people (I should say, women) get pregnant; maybe more often if some long term event eliminates the availability of bc

SURVIVAL MEDICINE HOUR PODCAST It’s important to realize that the majority of respiratory infections, including the flu and the common cold, are caused by viruses and do not improve with the use of antibiotics. Some infections of the respiratory tract are bacterial in origin, however; others are secondary infections that invade a weakened victim of a viral illness. These tend to be in the lower airways (called “bronchitis”) or in the lung tissue itself (called “pneumonia”). Find out from Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, what respiratory infections can be treated with antibiotics and which drugs are best. Also, we are in the midst of an opioid epidemic and regulations to giving only 3-7 days of medicine at a time have decreased the number of overdoses from prescriptions opioids but have also cause users to enter the black market. This has resulted in a 10% increase in deaths from drugs purchased from cartels in Mexico and...China! Find out more about this plague that is raging li

We’ve mentioned that we’re finishing up a book on antibiotics and the diseases they treat, and I hope you’ve made some provisions for having some antibiotics in your medical storage, even if they’re the fish antibiotics that we write about. If you really believe there might be some event that’s going to take our society to the brink one day, you’ve got to know that this stuff is just not going to be as available as it was, and whatever you have is going to be hard to replace. So while you’re getting prepared this national preparedness month, think about getting our book when it comes out and some antibiotics. When our infrastructure is working, we are able to provide clean water for drinking and food that’s safe to eat. We also have ways to easily flush waste from our immediate surroundings. When that infrastructure is damaged, however, we become easy prey for infectious disease. Joe and Amy Alton discuss how to deal with human waste issues in primitive off-grid settings. Also, face masks have been in use s

Our body is a fortress that is constantly under siege by bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Every day, we fight off attempts by one or another of these germs to gain a foothold. Luckily, our immune system is usually aware of the presence of substances not recognizable as part of the body. The human response to infection involves the actions of certain cells and other substances called “antibodies” in blood. Find out from Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP about how your body works to fight infection. Few, however, consider the possibility that a major disaster may wipe out the ability to manufacture these drugs in mass quantities. Severe restrictions exist which put these drugs out of the reach of the average person.  What would happen if we are struck by a catastrophe that knocks out the power grid? Joe and Amy Alton tell you about ways to avoid infection that don't involve pharmaceuticals. Plus, a rare look by the Altons at sexually transmitted diseases and how you could treat these with antibiotics ava

Hurricane Florence is making landfall in the Carolinas as we’re recording, and they’re expecting a lot of wind, rain, and storm surge. Every year around this time, the U.S. can expect storms like this to menace the East and Gulf coasts, yet many citizens still find a way to be caught by surprise. Joe and Amy Alton put together 30 safety tips that will give your family the best chance of preparing for and surviving that storm. The family caregiver has to be able to handle problems that occur in times of disaster and good times as well. One common issue they’ll encounter is that of styes. Later in the show, Joe and Amy discuss a minor problem that can be a huge annoyance: Styes. A stye, also known as a “hordeolum”, is a bump on the eyelid. It’s a pimple that can be outside or inside the lid and is caused by a blocked gland near an eyelash. Styes are associated with redness and pain that, due to “what’s that on your eye?” comments you get, can be especially annoying. Plus, Nurse Amy talks about some of her fa

In good times, we have the luxury of modern medical facilities and advanced techniques to isolate a sick patient from healthy people. If we ever find ourselves in a grid-down scenario, most of these advantages will go the way of the dinosaur, and we will be placed in, essentially, the same medical environment we experienced in the 19th century. It should be possible for the medically prepared to put together a “sick room” or “hospital tent” that will minimize the chance of infectious disease running rampant through your community. It’s important to care effectively for the sick while keeping the healthy out of the reach of contagion. Joe and Amy Alton tell you the basics of what makes an effective sick room for epidemic settings off the grid, plus discuss a number of infectious diseases that might become rampant in survival settings. Also, new fires on the California/Oregon border, 20 people sickened on a 14 hour flight from the Middle East, and much more! Plus, September is National Preparedness Month! Do

Happy National Preparedness Month! Joe and Amy Alton often  talk about the risk of infectious diseases and some of the antibiotics that I’ve been able to find in veterinary form that you can access without a prescription. Of course,  in normal times, you should seek out a qualified medical professional first. One of the antibiotics we think is most useful in survival settings is something called metronidazole, brand name Flagyl). Metronidazole (aquatic equivalent: Fish-Zole) 250mg is an antibiotic in the Nitroimidazole family that is used primarily to treat infections caused by anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. Find out more! The diligent medic will be successful in accumulating various medicines that will help keep his family healthy.  What happens, however, when all these stockpiled drugs pass their expiration date”?  The short answer is:  In most cases, not very much. Shocked? Find out why Joe Alton MD says so in this episode. Plus, a short talk about endemic, epidemic, and pandemic diseases. What makes

Recently, we certified as Advanced Wilderness Expedition Providers, and many of the training scenarios involved dealing with those who are injured in falls. Whether you’re on a backcountry trail or in your own bathroom, a fall can seriously damage you, causing orthopedic injuries, bleeding, traumatic brain injuries, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that one in five falls results in a major injury. All told, falls account for millions of emergency room visits and over 800,000 hospitalizations a year in the U.S. Joe and Amy Alton discuss some of the more common fall injuries and how to treat and prevent them. California wildfires have claimed at least a dozen lives and destroyed more than 1,200 homes. Forest fires are horrible, but a building fire is also. Every year, millions are at risk for, and thousands of people are killed or injured by, fires in the U.S. Many of these deaths and injuries can be prevented with some knowledge of the nature of fire. Joe Alton MD tells yo

Most of us have dutifully gone to get a Tetanus shot when we stepped on a rusty nail, but few have any real concept of what Tetanus is and why it is dangerous. Tetanus (from the Greek word tetanos, meaning tight)  is an infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium Tetani.  The bacteria produces spores (inactive bacteria-to-be) that primarily live in the soil or the feces of animals. These spores are capable of living for years and are resistant to extremes in temperature. Tetanus is now rare in the U.S. but what if you're thrown off the grid by a disaster? Expect a resurgence of this possibly deadly infection as times goes on. Joe and Amy discuss. An especially persistent cause of diarrheal disease from contaminated recreational waters is Cryptosporidium. Also known as “Crypto”, the organism survives for a longer time than other pathogens and is not uncommon in waterways. In high-density areas like pools, hot tubs, and water parks, Crypto is responsible for the grand majority of those made ill from contamina

Joe and Amy Alton return home to South Florida after almost two weeks in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming! While they were in Grand Teton National Park, everyone was wondering why it was so hazy. Well sure enough, it was smoke from hundreds of miles away in California. Evidence of smoke has actually gone as far as New York City, yes, new Yorkers, it’s not just smog, at least right now, it’s smoke from the coast, the west coast, that is! Find out more about wildfires and how to create a defensible space that will give your property the best chance to survive. For your family, though, the best chance is by getting out of Dodge! Also, an upcoming book by Joe Alton MD will address infectious disease, antibiotics, and their use in austere settings such as the aftermath of disasters, remote locations, ocean voyages, and other situations where modern medical help is not on the way. In addition, Dr. Alton discusses some of the uses for the popular antibiotic Keflex, aka Cephalexin. All this and more on the Surviva

We have talked a lot about natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, but not as much about the complications that go along with them. Flooding is one of the most common disasters to affect the United States, and there’s flash flooding in the Eastern part of the country as we speak.   It’s part and parcel of many different catastrophes, from the aftermath of blizzards to mudslides. Matter of fact, it’s the reason for almost 75% of presidential disaster proclamations. As such, it’s important to know how to keep your family safe during these events. Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy tell you how. There are nearly 4000 drownings each year and young children are overly represented as victims. Find out how to keep heartbreaking tragedies like this from affecting your family. Plus, some disease-causing organisms can cause major illnesses in the long hot summer, especially when germs invade recreational water areas, both natural and man-made. All this and more in the latest Survival Medicine Hour with Joe Alton MD and