Survival Medicine
For Grid Down Survival

Survival medicine and first aid might take a back-of-the-line place while we're busy gathering food, water, and other survival supplies. However, it's very important to know what to do if medical help and supplies are not available, such as when the grid fails.

We've already got our personal first aid kits, right? (If not, start here to create your own.)

For a long term grid down situation, we would need to prepare beyond the typical first aid kit. So let's dig a little deeper into exactly what supplies and knowledge we might need in our survival medicine repertoire.

More Than Just First Aid

Follow each of these links to get specific information about these possible medical situations.

Materials to treat:

Medicines for:

fever
pain
vomiting
diarrhea
coughing
rashes
heartburn
hemorrhoids (preparation H)
prescriptions (or copies of Rx)

When There Is No Doctor

In a real crisis, especially the aftermath of an earthquake, a tornado, or hurricane, or nuclear fallout, there may be no way to get to a doctor or hospital. In fact, the medical facilities may not be working at all.

Natural disasters are no respecter of persons or places.

Read my review on this book, When There Is No Doctor. It is an excellent resource to purchase and keep with your emergency supplies.

Besides preparing for medical emergencies and illness during a grid failure, we need to prepare ourselves beforehand by taking care of ourselves.

Preventative Medicine - Health Management

Whether there is a crisis or not, it is our ongoing responsibility to live a lifestyle that gives us the best health, strength, stamina, and mental capacity to handle a crisis when it happens.

We have an obligation to ourselves and our loved ones to eat healthy, exercise regularly, get regular physical and dental checkups, and keep our immunity strong with appropriate supplements if necessary.

Infection Control

N95 Vented Particulate Respirator Face Mask

The best infection control is to wash hands often. Wash them every time you have been in a public place - wash immediately upon returning home. Use a hand sanitizer if it's not convenient to wash with soap and water.

In case of a very infectious disease (like flu season or a pandemic), keep handy and use surgical gloves and masks when necessary.

Remember cough etiquette; get plenty of sunshine for good health (vitamin D helps keep immunity strong), and sanitize when necessary. If you are the one who is sick, quarantine yourself.

In a crisis situation, remember that humans produce a lot of waste. Improperly disposed of waste is a breeding ground for bacteria. Be prepared with a way to manage waste and dispose of it. Learn how to Make a Port-a-Potty for those emergencies.

Injury Prevention

Injury prevention is all about reducing risks and being aware of everything going on around you at all times. We're not talking about risk elimination here because that is impossible - unless you live in a bubble and never leave it.

Avoiding Risks: Most of us takes risks every day. We drive a car, a bicycle, or a motorcycle. They are all risky, but if we leave our ego out of the experience, we will wear a helmet and other appropriate gear while riding a motorcycle or bicycle. We will not challenge other drivers just to get one car ahead (a definite cause of road rage).

Other risky behavior:

Avoid risky, crime-ridden parts of a city.
Never walk alone after dark.
Always be polite in a public situation and avoid confrontations.

Disease Management

If you have a chronic disease, plan how you would manage it in a crisis situation.

Can you ask your doctor to write prescriptions for 90 days instead of 30 days?
Do you have certain supplies that you must use and can you stock up on them?
Are there any alternative medicines, such as herbs or essential oils that could be used in place of prescriptions? You may have to research this subject to find out.