Survivalists are smart enough to know how to get ready for a wide range of things that could happen and affect their lives. We learn new skills and facts, gather the things we’ll need, and work together as a community to help everyone.
Many people think that getting ready for a disaster is too expensive because stockpiling can cost a fortune if you buy everything at once. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money on supplies, and if you plan ahead, you can spread the cost out over a long time.
Candles, matches, batteries, vinyl gloves, plastic tarps, socks, a sewing kit, cooking oil, face masks, purification tablets, and toilet paper are all cheap.
Medications like antibiotics, antacids, antihistamines, and painkillers are as important as food and water. Add them to your list and first aid kit, along with things like disinfectants, sterile bandages, and products for women’s hygiene.
These things don’t cost much, and you can get enough of them over time to be fully prepared.
Acetaminophen
This remedy reduces fever and relieves muscle pain, colds, flu, toothaches, backaches, sore throats, headaches, osteoarthritis, and menstrual period aches.
Acetaminophen is found in many well-known brands, such as Tylenol®, Excedrin®, Midol®, Theraflu®, FeverAll®, and Advil® Dual Action.
Depending on how many you buy, each one costs a few cents. Remember that painkillers work best if you take them as soon as you feel pain.
Make sure you follow the directions for how much to take because the amount of acetaminophen in each brand may be different and you don’t want to take more than recommended. Make sure you have a product made just for kids on hand and decide how much to give the child based on their weight or age.
You do not have to shake all suspensions before use, but you will need to do so with some. Instead of a regular spoon, use a dose-measuring spoon, a syringe, or a dropper to make sure you take the right amount.
Be careful with tablets that last longer. If you chew or crush them, all of the medicine will come out at once, which could have serious side effects. Instead, swallow the whole tablet or a split tablet with water.
Related: How To Stockpile Prescription Medicine Without a Prescription
If you have a fever for more than three days or pain for more than ten, you should see a doctor. Children can take the drug for half as long as adults can, but you should talk to a doctor if they feel sick, throw up, have a headache, have a high fever, or have a sore throat.
Overdosing
If you take too much acetaminophen, it can damage your liver and even kill you, especially if you also drink alcohol. Check the labels of other over-the-counter medications, such as cough and cold remedies, to ensure that they do not contain the drug and that you do not take too much.
If you take in too much, you might lose your appetite, have stomach pain, throw up, feel sick, sweat a lot, feel very tired, have dark urine, and your skin and eyes might turn yellow. But taking the right amount helps ease pain and fever caused by a number of health issues.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are not available over the counter. Your doctor or other medical professional needs to write you a prescription for it if you have a known health problem. That makes it hard to keep it in stock. There are other options if you cannot obtain a just-in-case, broad-spectrum prescription.
Natural Antibiotics
Honey, especially raw Manuka honey, is a natural antibiotic that stops bacteria from growing or killing them.
Related: The Biggest Medical Mistakes You Can Make In A Blackout
If you have an infection inside your body, take a tablespoon of it every day or put it directly on the wound. Do not use it on babies younger than a year. Honey contains hydrogen peroxide and sugar that stop the growth of specific forms of bacteria. Its low pH level pulls moisture away, killing microbes by dehydrating them.
You can get garlic extract or concentrate at a health food store near you, or you can take two cloves of garlic soaked in olive oil every day. Garlic can kill germs, but if you eat too much of it, it can increase the effects of blood-thinning prescription medications or cause internal bleeding.
Cranberry extract, which has antioxidants and compounds that kill bacteria, can be used to treat urinary tract infections.
Myrrh extract kills pathogens like Candida albicans, a yeast that causes thrush and fungal infections of the mucosal membranes or skin, and pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes infections in the blood, urinary tract, lungs (pneumonia), surgical wounds, and other wounds.
Large amounts of myrrh can cause heart problems, diarrhea, or a rash on the skin, but most people can handle it well.
Myrrh extract is effective against Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterium causes infections in the skin and soft tissues, like abscesses, boils, and cellulitis, which make the skin red, hot, painful, and swollen. The remedy also has a positive effect on E. coli. This infection could cause you to throw up, feel sick, have stomach cramps, and have diarrhea that is watery, mild to severe, and sometimes bloody.
Antibacterial Properties
Essential oils of thyme and oregano, ginger, cloves, apple cider vinegar, curcumin in turmeric, and echinacea can all kill bacteria. As an alternative, many preppers swear by putting fish antibiotics in pill form in their emergency bags. You need to know how to use fish antibiotics, much like humans do.
Make sure what they contain may not be good for you; understand whether you will actually be helping the situation if you use them based on your other prescription medications; and keep an eye on their expiration dates.
Some may have bad side effects while others don’t, so find out what precautions to take and how to use them. The antibiotics Neosporin, Neosporin Plus, Polysporin, and Proactiv/Clearskin can be bought over the counter. Bacteriophage, or phage, is another alternative. Phage viruses infect bacteria and treat certain diseases.
What Else Do You Need?
You should have antacids and cetirizine in your first-aid kit.
Antacids help your stomach feel much better because they neutralize the acid in your stomach. This makes heartburn and indigestion go away. You can buy them without a prescription in stores and pharmacies.
Cetirizine is an antihistamine that is used to temporarily treat dermatitis and allergy symptoms like an itchy throat, nose, or eyes, red, watery eyes, a runny nose, hives, and sneezing caused by hay fever and allergies to dust, pollen, dust mites, mold, and animal dander.
Consider stocking up on these medicines and natural remedies to make sure you can handle common health problems when times are tough.
