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 a survival setting, stress, exposure to new allergens (allergy-causing substances) and hygiene issues will only make things worse. We usually write about asthma in the Spring, when pollen counts are high but winter can be trouble as well, not so much outdoors, but with the accumulation of pet dander, smoke, dust, and molds indoors.. All this and more on the Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton! Don't forget our latest book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings", the unique book that talk about how to wisely use antibiotics available to the average citizen in major catastrophes. You can find it on Amazon or at store.doomandbloom.net (if you want it autographed)!

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, when you don't, and when you have a life raft. Also, some do's and don'ts when it comes to encounters with that apex predator of the deep, the shark! Plus, Amy and Joe talk about their latest book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings", a truly unique book that may help you save lives in long-term survival scenarios....

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 Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton! Follow us on Twitter @preppershow -  Facebook's Doom and Bloom(tm) page - YouTube: DrBones NurseAmy Channel and, of course, our award winning website at doomandbloom.net!

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 Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibiotics in Austere Settings" is done and has been uploaded to Amazon! You can get it there or obtain a personally signed copy by going to store.doomandbloom.net! Don't forget to check out Nurse Amy's entire line of medical kits and individual items! Follow the Altons on Facebook's "Doom and Bloom(tm)" page, Twitter @preppershow, and YouTube's DrBones NurseAmy Channel!

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 off-grid settings. All this and much more in the latest Survival Medicine Hour! Don't forget to fill those holes in your medical storage with kits and individual supplies from Amy's store at store.doomandbloom.net, plus our new book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibiotics in Austere Settings" will be out later this month. Get yours at amazon.com or pre-order an autographed copy at our store.

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 Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton! Follow us on Twitter @preppershow and YouTube at Drbones NurseAmy channel! Also, keep an eye out for our upcoming book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease" at Amazon or store.doomandbloom.net!

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 on Lyme Disease and Gouty Arthritis. All this and more on the latest Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton! Check out our entire line of books, dvds, medical kits, and individual items at store.doomandbloom.net!

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 pills and other products that prevent pregnancies. There also won’t be much in the line of baby formula, so we’ll be feeding our babies the old-fashioned way, with breast milk. Breastfeeding is also called lactation, and it doesn’t always go smoothly. Learn how to identify medical issues related to nursing and treatments that help. All this and more on the Survival Medicine Hour podcast with Joe and Amy Alton! Follow us on Twitter @preppershow, YouTube at drbones nurseamy channel, and our FB page at doomandbloom(tm). Go to store.doomandbloom.net for HSA approved medical kits and supplies!