N umerous problems can be solved effectively with cutting-edge technology, contemporary facilities, and equipment. Indeed, I just spent the entire last chapter advising you to stock up on various high-tech products, including defibrillators! Several of these items are essential for managing particular medical conditions.
Unfortunately, you probably won't have the money to build a sizable medical supply cache. Even if you are successful, your supplies will only be effective for a limited period. You might be surprised by how quickly expensive medicines and other supplies are depleted.
Purchasing excessive quantities of frequently used medical goods is one approach, but even sizable stockpiles will eventually run out due to the problems you'll face. Consequently, you will need a method for creating compounds that will be useful in medicine. The ideal place to begin would be with the plants in your backyard or neighboring forests.
In society, doctors have filled various roles throughout history, including priests in ancient Egypt, slaves and barbers in imperial Rome and the Dark Ages, and artists in the Renaissance. These ancient healers employed various techniques, but they all shared a similar understanding of the value of using natural remedies. They cultivated a particular plant if they needed more of it than what was available in their natural habitat. They studied how to prepare these ingredients for use in teas, tinctures, and salves and the best ways to employ them to treat illness. We will have to use their knowledge that current medical care is no longer available.
Salicin, a natural painkiller found under the bark of willow, poplar, and aspen plants, serves as an illustration. The first method for extracting salicylic acid from these trees for commercial use was created in the nineteenth century.
Anyone prepared to assume responsibility for others' health should have natural medicines in their medical toolkit. Why not take advantage of all the resources at your disposal? The therapeutic herbs and plants you raise in your garden may be all you have at some point.
Natural ingredients can be included in "home cures" in several ways, such as the ones listed below:
Tea is a hot beverage created by steeping dried; crushed plant leaves in boiling water.
Tinctures, sometimes known as "decoctions," are plant extracts produced by soaking plants in a liquid (such as water, grain alcohol, or vinegar) for a predetermined period.
Essential oils are liquids made up of aromatic combinations of naturally occurring plant components that have been substantially condensed. Most of these have a long shelf life and are often created through "distillation."
Highly viscous or semisolid substances applied to the skin are called salve (also known as ointment, unguent, or balm).
Some of these items can be taken directly or diluted before consumption. A significant advantage is that homemade medicines typically have fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals. The group medic is responsible for learning how to use and, yes, cultivate these plants.
Colloidal silver is another complementary medicine that some belief can strengthen immune systems and alleviate sickness. Small silver particles, silver ions, or silver coupled with protein are all suspended in a liquid to create colloidal silver products. Before antibiotics were developed, silver compounds were used to treat illnesses.
Products containing colloidal silver are typically promoted as oral dietary supplements. They can also be applied directly to the skin, which is believed to speed up healing by reducing the risk of infection. It should be emphasized that prolonged use of silver may cause argyria, a condition. This uncommon disorder, which results in blue skin, is primarily aesthetic.
In several laboratory tests, silver particles and ionic silver (Ag+) have demonstrated an antibacterial effect. Doctors employ wound dressings that contain silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene). Increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics has led to an increase in the usage of silver-containing wound dressings.
You should be aware that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forbids sellers of colloidal silver from making any claims about their product's medicinal or preventative benefits. It cannot, therefore, be sold as a means of avoiding or treating any disease. Before silver becomes a staple of the medical toolkit, further proof is required.
Poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak, or all three are common in the outdoors unless you dwell in Alaska, Hawaii, or the midst of the desert. Eighty-five percent of people will develop an immunological reaction to one or the other after being exposed to it, resulting in an itchy rash of varying intensity. Even when vines or bushes are dormant, you can still experience a reaction to urushiol, the deadly oil that triggers a reaction after the first sensitizing exposure. This means that winter does not eliminate the potential of a reaction.
Leaves of three, let it be, as they say. While it is true that poison ivy has "leaves of three," numerous other plants also have this arrangement. Make sure you are familiar with its appearance.
Both poison oak and poison ivy contain urushiol, which makes them quite similar. Poison ivy leaves could be sharper, while poison oak leaves frequently resemble oak leaves. Almost area in the contiguous United States has one or both.
In some areas of the eastern United States, poison sumac can reach heights of up to 30 feet as a shrub or small tree. There are 7–13 sharp leaflets on each leaf. Despite having the same irritant as poison ivy and oak, poison sumac is much more potent. It has been documented that simply breathing in the smoke from burning poison sumac can result in asphyxia death.
These plants are all urushiol-containing. The vines, leaves, and roots contain the oil. The best defense is to keep the oil away from your skin. Take the following safety measures if you can't avoid being around these plants:
• In locations where the plants are known to grow, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, work gloves, and boots.
• As a prophylactic measure, think about using the over-the-counter lotion IvyBlockTM. Apply it to potential exposure areas just like you would sunscreen. It should stop the oil from being absorbed by your skin.
The rash will manifest as red, itchy, spotty bumps over a few hours to many days. The rash can occasionally look practically linear.
Since urusel can also stay active for years on your clothing, thorough laundering is required. After 30 minutes of exposure, routine body washing with soap is ineffective since your body will already be building antibodies. Use only cold water at first, as hot water seems to aid the oil's absorption into the skin. But when the irritant has been completely absorbed, some advise taking hot water baths to reduce irritation.
Cleaning agents that take off resin or oil, including TecnuTM poison oak, ivy cleansers, or Fels-Naptha soap, are more efficient than conventional detergent and can be used even hours after contact. Another viable solution is rubbing alcohol, which is convenient to carry in the form of prep pads or hand sanitizers.
Even if you decide against treating the rash, it will go on its own in two to three weeks. Even though it's only going to last a short while, the itching can be unbearably bad. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), taken four times a day in 25–50 mg, will assist in reducing itching. It's critical to know that the 50 mg dosage will cause drowsiness. Unfortunately, the tried-and-true hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion will probably not be particularly effective. It has been claimed that astringent treatments like Domeboro can relieve itching.
The prescription dose pack of Medrol has been used to treat severe rashes in patients (methylprednisolone, a drug similar to prednisone). Strong anti-inflammatory medication, prednisone, will work better to stop the inflammatory response your antibodies produce.
Alternative cures for poison oak, sumac, and poison ivy include:
• Cider vinegar (apple) (use to cleanse the irritated area)
• Blends of tea tree, lemon, lavender, peppermint, geranium, and chamomile essential oils with Aloe Vera gel
• Powdered baking soda
• Baths with Epsom salt
• Gemweed (mash and apply)
• A tea bag of chamomile compresses