Spice has put in an extraordinary amount of work on her PrepperMed 101 series, so we made a “one-stop” location for you to browse through her articles.
Here’s what’s in the PrepperMed series line-by-line (throwing in a bunch of random med pictures to break up the text.)
Preppermed 101
PrepperMed 101: Four Questions About Vitamins – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Should vitamin supplements be a part of food preps? If so, of what kind, and how much? What concerns are there with vitamins and prepping?
Asthma affects many adults as well as children. It is common in childhood though, and what tugs at a parents’ heart more than a child struggling to breathe?
Part I of this series had some ideas on having less asthma. But what if you do have it and normal medical care isn’t available? Read o…
PrepperMed 101: Get That Junk Out – 3 Preps For Wound Care – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
I’ve been thinking about wound care. Developing The Place and other prepping or emergency activities often involve sharp tools, lots of muscle, and people doing tasks they don’t do every day — good conditions for traumatic injury.
Sometimes there’s a very good reason for panic; although panic fear itself is more likely to kill you than save you in the modern world.
This article, Part III of the Prepping For Arthritis series, is about supportive therapies that also don’t depend on medical care.
PrepperMed 101: Holey Bones! Three Preps For Osteoporosis – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Osteoporosis is very common later in life in women. We’ve all heard stories of how the old lady fell and broke her hip? Really, her hip break came first…
Arthritis isn’t a killer, so it might seem low on a prepper’s list of concerns. On the other hand, pain from arthritis sure degrades quality of life.
Arthritis, which causes stiffness, pain, and potentially deformity and loss of use of joints, is exceptionally common. We look at hot wax treatments.
About 30% of American adults have high blood pressure (hypertension), and close to 17% of American adults don’t have their high blood pressure well controlled. Good thing an emergency scenario wouldn’t increase that further! Oh, wait….
There we were, driving down to the land of salt water and waves for a winter vacation…when the norovirus hit. Good readers, I was never more glad to have our emergency med kit than when raging diarrhea hit during a very long drive on a Christmas day (no stores were open).
PrepperMed 101: What To Do When The Frost Bites – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to the soft peace of falling snow, the beautiful glitter of the sun emerging after an ice-storm… and frostbite
Vitamins do some funky things when taken with antibiotics, they can “mess up” antibiotic activity while antibiotics can “mess up” vitamins as well.
PrepperMed 101: When circumstances change, meds may need adjusted – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Some prescription medications are given in the same dose to nearly everyone and seldom need adjustment, but if circumstatnces change, some meds need adjusted.
PrepperMed 101: Should Preppers In Particular Get A Flu Shot? – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
The question pops up every year for preppers (and everybody else, for that matter). Should I get the flu shot? The answer is, as usual, “it depends”.
Is there anything less fun than kidney stones? Not a whole lot … “The most painful thing I’ve ever experienced” is a phrase that comes up a lot.
PrepperMed 101: Four Things Preppers on Blood Thinners Need to Know – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Blood thinners. Ok, if you’ve read many of my health posts you’re used to the line about how I’m not a physician and I don’t give medical advice. You can double that for this piece. Getting ‘blood thinning’ right is, I hear, pretty individualistic. Here are some pieces of information you might find useful though.
PrepperMed 101: Two Keys to Prepping Against Antibiotic Resistance – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
A few microbes are now resistant to every available antibiotic, and deaths from resistant microbes increasing every year with no end in sight.
Tetanus. It’s called ‘lockjaw’ because the jaw muscles are among the first to be affected. They spasm and seize up, holding the jaw firmly shut.
Spiders can bite, and they can cause severe illness or even death even if they are not generally considered venomous to humans… because infection.
PrepperMed 101: Breathing If The SHTF – Prepping To Not Have Asthma – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
The most common variety of asthma is allergic asthma. Reducing allergies means reining in the runaway immune system so it still does its job correctly.
I was in my teens when I jumped into the lake with my eye glasses on. I had no idea how difficult it would be to function without them until I lost them.
PrepperMed 101: Can A Prepper Stock Up On Birth Control? – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
What are the options for preppers when birth control measures (other than abstinance) are difficult to come by in a SHTF situation? Read on.
PrepperMed 101: What To Do With a Fever? – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Fevers are the most common reason for emergency room visits by children. Parents know a kid’s fever can cause seizures, and those are all kinds of scary.
There’s a lot of talk going around about the “bad” flu vaccine this year. What’s that actually mean, and how does it affect your prepping?
PrepperMed 101: Too Hot To Handle – Burn Care – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Burns make up 2-8% of wilderness injuries (not counting sunburns, even though they can actually be serious in some cases). Lets look at burn treatments.
PrepperMed 101: When and How to Close Wounds – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Everybody ends up, sooner or later, with wounds that need to be closed. In good times, we can get medical help from a doctor. If the SHTF? Here are options.
PrepperMed 101: Is Superglue Super for Wound Care? – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
I have a friend who is not super wise, and not very graceful. He’s taken to supergluing his wounds back together rather than going in to the ER. Crazy?
The next great influenza epidemic may kill you… but there are things you can do to not be a victim of it when it hits, and protect others as well.
PrepperMed 101: I am So Cold – Recognizing & Treating Hypothermia – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
With winter comes the possibility of hypothermia. And with long immersion in water, even not-that-cool-water, comes the possibility of hypothermia…
PrepperMed 101: Dealing with Snakebite – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Snakebites. Only a small percentage of snakes in North America are poisonous. Only one bite in 5000 from poisonous American snakes are fatal to people.
PrepperMed 101: Drug Basics for Preppers, Over the Counter – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
It’s time to look at some issues of the things you can buy over the counter. If a drug is sold over the counter, it’s considered to be pretty safe (or has a long tradition and a big lobby). That means preppers can stock up on them and decide for themselves when and how much to take.
PrepperMed 101: Drug Basics for Preppers, By Prescription Only – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Suppose medical care is suddenly no longer available. But you’re a prepper, so you’ve got some useful drug supplies among your preps and could trade for others. Suppose you’ve got an idea of what you need and how much to take. So you’re golden, right? Well, you’re more like silver. Here’s why.
PrepperMed 101: St. John’s Wort, An Herbal Remedy for Depression – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Depression afflicts more than 10% of the population at some point in their life. Throw a lot of upheaval into people’s lives, and there’s likely to be a whole lot more. We here at 3BY are all about helping people thrive; and depression most certainly is not thriving. St. John’s Wort may help.
PrepperMed 101: Say No to Bleeding, Part 2 – Compression Bandages – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Bleeding is the largest direct cause of death in most fatalities due to accidental or intentional violence. Rapid and appropriate response can stop bleeding in the vast majority of cases. It doesn’t matter if your emergency is as mundane as a car accident or as unlikely as bad prepper fiction, it pays to be prepared.
PrepperMed 101: Say No to Bleeding, Part 1 – Clotting Aids – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
I take control of traumatic bleeding and clotting seriously, as I’m often working by myself at The Place with tools meant to do lots of cutting. I think you should too. Everything from auto and home accidents on up involves some risk of bleeding that can become life-threatening in (approximately) no time flat.
PrepperMed 101: Honey is One Sweet Prep – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & YouepperMed 101: Honey is One Sweet Prep – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Honey has a long history as a dressing worldwide. I thought this couldn’t be a great idea, since sugar usually increases bacterial growth. I was wrong.
PrepperMed 101: Tularemia – Dangerous For Preppers – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Tularemia is a bacterial disease, caused by a germ called Francisella tularensis. It’s a zoonotic disease, meaning we get it from other species, not humans.
SAM splint stands for Structural Aluminum Malleable splint. They’re cheap, light, versatile, and useful. OK, they are bulky, but one can’t have everything.
When the Stuff Hits The Fan (SHTF), a serious health crisis is going to hit a large section of the US population in a big hurry: diabetes.
PrepperMed 101: Garlic, Part II – Grow It, Store It, Use It – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
In the first article of this series, we looked at why garlic is useful to a prepper — I mean, beyond being tasty and keeping away vampires. In this part, we look at how to get it done as a prep: How to get it and use it.
Garlic has been considered an important medicine for thousands of years, everywhere from India to China to Egypt. Does the evidence show it lives up to this long reputation? In short: Yes. Prepared properly, garlic has some very nice health benefits.
I love bees. I thank them and cheer for them as they buzz from one of my fruit trees to the next, making the harvest possible. For some people though, usually minor problems like bee stings and usually harmless foods like peanuts bring a risk of sudden death from a serious allergic reaction.
We can reduce the chances of some accidents turning into broken bones by increasing bone strength and density before the Stuff Hits The Fan. Here is what we know about steps to take to keep the ole skeleton strong.
Today I spent some time exploring the evidence related to Mom’s old friend Aloe vera. I read a bunch of studies and meta-analyses. The majority found that yes, aloe-treated burns did heal more quickly than those treated with placebo; in some cases just as well as those treated with commercial burn creams.
PrepperMed 101: Four Things To Know About Biohazards – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Biohazards are infectious agents. Both poisons and biohazards can kill, but poisons don’t multiply or develop nifty (for them) tricks to cause their own spread. Biohazards do both.
PrepperMed 101: Don’t Touch That Caterpillar! – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
‘Stinging’ caterpillars. Are they the biggest threat ever? No. But they’re common in some parts of the country, highly unpleasant, can be avoided or the impacts reduced easily if you know how. Much of the advice applies just as well to other bites, stings, and nettle contacts, making it worth knowing about.
PrepperMed 101: And Then Came A Spider – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Doesn’t seem fair that such a tiny beast as a spider can cause lasting harm or even death to a big, vigorous human, does it? Read on for details.
PrepperMed 101: How Do You Know What Herbal Treatments Work? – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Truth is, many herbal remedies, health advice, etc. work very well. Another truth is, there are also a lot of claims made that don’t hold water.
PrepperMed 101: Osteopathy For Preppers, An Introduction – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
My first physician visit in northeast Missouri and saw the ‘Doctor of Osteopathy’ diploma, I thought he was an M.D. with a bone specialty. Read on…
PrepperMed 101: Dollar Store Medicines To Stock – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Prepping doesn’t have to be expensive. Salty and I raided the dollar store to find some useful medicines you can literally get for one dollar each.
PrepperMed 101: TENS – Non-Drug Pain Control – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Pain is hard to deal with at the best of times. The times we prepare for are not the best of times, and pain drugs may be hard to come by. TENS units may help.
PrepperMed 101: Deadly Dehydration – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Dehydration is a lot more dangerous than mutant biker gangs in the real world. How can we recognize and handle dehydration?
PrepperMed 101: Recognizing Viral Infections – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Antibiotics are life-saving, but not if the infection is viral. Here are some tips for telling when an infection is viral and antibiotics would not help.
PrepperMed 101: StopsBleeding Clotting Aid – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
How does StopsBleeding, a bandage infused with a clotting aid that is now widely available for under $5, line up with the research on clotting aids?
PrepperMed 101: Concussion – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Emergency situations have more opportunities for smashing one’s brain than normal living; so concussion is a topic preppers should know something about.
PrepperMed 101: Prepping For Lyme’s Disease – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
While few people appreciate blood-sucking parasites to start with, ticks come with extra problems: They transmit diseases such as Lyme’s.
PrepperMed 101: Alzheimer’s Part I, Dealing With Confusion – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
The lyrics are from Styx’s Crystal Ball, but they could have come from the heart of any number of people struggling with dementia-induced confusion, including Alzheimer’s patients: “Tell me, tell me where I’m going, I don’t know where I’ve been; Tell me, tell me, won’t you tell me, And then tell me again…”
Preppermed 101: Preppers, Oral Care & Dentistry – Open Wide! – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Oral care & the dentist. Not a very exciting or thrilling subject to think about and prep for, is it? Perhaps not, but one thing’s for certain. The last thing you want in a grid-down disaster situation is to have a tooth go bad and incapacitate you. Let’s start looking at oral care & prepping.
PrepperMed 101: Antibiotics – What is Enough? – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Suppose there is no physician handy. If you have determined that taking antibiotics is required, and hopefully understand that taking a full course is important … how do you know what a ‘full course’ is? How do you select how much to take and for how long? Read on to find out.
Preppermed 101: Norovirus Prevention – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Norovirus can sure ruin your day, your week, your trip or your bugging out. It probably won’t kill you, but it sure will make you wish you were dead.
PrepperMed 101: Pseudoephedrine Pros And Cons – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
Should pseudoephedrine (trade name Sudafed) be among your preps? In this article, Salty and I explore the upsides and downsides of this potent drug.
PrepperMed 101: Giardia, The Most Common Water-Borne Infection – Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You
We talk a lot here at 3BY about water purification. Really though, are you likely to get cholera if you drink from a creek during a bug-out? Or diptheria, or typhoid, or a bunch of disease you mostly only find…