Health and Travel Plan
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Make sure your Tetanus booster is up-to-date.
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Take care of any dental problems.
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Buy back-up pairs of eyeglasses or learn techniques to regain vision naturally.
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Learn the herbal alternatives to prescription medicine and get your body in better shape.
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Apply for or renew your passport in case evacuating from the country is necessary.
Here's a look at each of these in more detail.
1. Make sure your Tetanus booster is up-to-date.
Tetanus is a life-threatening infection that results from dirty cuts and wounds. The bacteria is commonly found in soil but can be transmitted by an animal bite, nail puncture or other means. Most of us routinely get a booster shot every ten years, so make sure yours is current.
If you're uninsured, get your booster for no or low cost at a non-profit or government-run clinic. And don't fall behind on vaccinations for kids and pets, either.
Note: Under no circumstances should child immunizations be rushed . Studies and anecdotal reports suggest that getting multiple shots at once may be a cause of autism.
2. Take care of any dental problems.
Backwoods dentistry isn't pretty. And if you're eating a lot of raw fruits, nuts and other uncooked foods, you're teeth are likely to get a workout. So unless you're hankering to get a tooth extracted without the benefit of Novacaine, take time now get any cavities filled, old fillings replaced and other dental work needed.
(Incidentally, homeopathic doctors oppose root canals because of the risk of infection, advising their patients to have problem teeth extracted instead. About 20 percent of root canals fail.)
Young adults should think about having their wisdom teeth removed while the high-tech equipment and pain-killing drugs are still available.
In addition, routine cleanings and application of enamel will buy your mouth several problem-free years. A dental hygienist performs this task, digging plaque out of crevices between the gums and teeth. Such debris can cause abscesses and other difficult problems to treat.
If you're uninsured, you can always get a free cleaning at a dental hygienist school in your area. It also wouldn't hurt to get into the habit of flossing, or using a tooth pick after meals. Brush with a toothpaste that contains natural fluoride, like Tom's of Maine.
Fluoride helps protect your teeth from the decay that causes cavities. It's a natural mineral found in igneous rocks (especially granites), where it may be attached to quartz. This mineral shouldn't be confused with the more controversial fluorosilicic acid dripped into municipal water supplies around the country. This is a by-product of fertilizer manufacturing.
To insure you'll have strong teeth for the long haul, avoid drinking soda pop and other sweet drinks, which are the kryptonite of tooth enamel. Excessive consumption of refined sugar is a leading cause of tooth decay (alongside not brushing). In addition, always make sure you have sufficient calcium and other minerals in your diet.
Finally, it wouldn't hurt to buy a set of dental instruments for your long-term emergency first aid kit, as well as Cavit, a temporary filling material. In a pinch, you can use melted wax (after it cools down) instead. To treat tooth pain, oil of cloves works as an effective painkiller. It's sold as a tincture for $6-$8 at health food stores.
3. Buy back-up pairs of eyeglasses or learn techniques to regain vision.
If you don't see well without glasses, a disaster scenario can pose huge extra risks. So store multiple pairs of eyeglasses and/or learn how to correct your vision as much as possible through natural vision therapy.
Keep in mind that eyesight worsens over time, so even with the extra lenses stockpiled you may still run into trouble. In most states, drugstores sell eyeglasses with up to a 3.0 magnification. That makes it possible to build an inventory of variable sizes.
If you have astigmatism or different vision in each eye, get a prescription from an optometrist and either order glasses online or buy them retail. The cost of frames has become prohibitively expensive, making online ordering more popular in recent years.
In addition, the regular, thick plastic lenses will last the longest, so avoid the thinner "high index" plastic that's now available. These lenses scratch easily.
4. Find herbal alternatives to prescription medicine and get your body in better shape.
If you rely on medication for a chronic condition, determine the active ingredients in these formulas and see if you can substitute them with plant-based remedies in an emergency. In fact, at least half of all medicines used in the United States have botanical ingredients.
Obviously, most illnesses and disease pre-date the use of patent medicine and pharmacies. Even today, throughout much of the world, herb remedies are the mainstay of medicine. Willow bark and caffeine, for instance, are key to the formulation of aspirin. Gingko Biloba is a natural blood thinner. Golden Seal is a natural antibiotic. Angelica root is an anti-bacterial used as a local anesthetic. Chamomile tea has been brewed for centuries to treat fevers and flu. Feverfew is effective against migraines by boosting serotonin levels in the blood vessels.
(Check our herbal medicine page for more information.)
As in the case of dental care, changing bad habits and food choices can go a long way towards keeping your body illness-free in the years to come. Medical experts say many degenerative diseases are the result of misguided eating habits. Diabetes, some forms of cancer and gastrointestinal diseases get their start in the colon, caused by an easily avoidable imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. And you can easily learn how to up the ratio of good to bad.
PBS produced several programs on this subject a few years ago with Brenda Watson, a naturopath. The trick is to include in your diet the following: High fiber, Omega-3 fatty oils, Probiotics (e.g. yoghurt cultures, horseradish and pickles) and Enzymes (found in raw vegetables like salad).
One other thing to consider about diet and food: After a mega-disaster, food is likely to be scarce for awhile. A thinner person will therefore have a much harder road to hoe than someone with stores of fat to shed over time. (If you recall, his was the case with the Tom Hanks character in the movie Castaway.) So an ideal weight in an emergency may be halfway between too lean to go without food for a month, and too obese to evacuate on foot.
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Return to: 2012 Survival Guide
Copyright 2009-2010 TheCityEdition.com
More Resources
Recommended Books
The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes. By Amanda Ripley.
When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht.
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide by Jack A. Spigarelli
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein
Websites
Work/Travel Abroad Opportunities
Human Rights Interactive Network
Plan Ahead
FEMA
"Restoring Your Vision Naturally."
"H.O.P.E Formula" (PDF)
"Fluoride minerals in igneous rocks" (PDF)
Disaster Response & Preparedness
Plan Ahead
FEMA
Preparing and Getting Trained
American Red Cross
Ready.gov
Official federal emergency preparedness site.
U.S. Search and Rescue Task Force
Scroll down page for lots of links.
Emergency Services Nationwide
U.S. Search and Rescue
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
citizencorps.gov
Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)
FEMA. See also: List of counties participating.
Volcanic ash/sulfur dioxide hazards
Earthquake Resources for People with disabilities
5. Apply for or renew your passport in case evacuating from the country is necessary.
It takes about three weeks for the U.S. State Dept. to process a passport application. Children also need passports in order to travel abroad. Because of the slow turnover, don't leave this task for the last minute. You can renew an existing passport by mail for $75. An expired passport that was issued less than 15 years ago can also be renewed by mail.
Check the State Dept travel page for complete details, forms, and travel advisories issued for specific countries.
Many post offices provide counter service for passport applications, even on Saturdays. They also have a photo service for an extra $15. For locations, hours and costs, visit the USPS passport site.
Remember, depending on the climate and proximity to the equator, foreign countries and islands may have particular health issues you'll need to prepare in advance. Malaria is still the big killer in equatorial regions, and may be spreading elsewhere as global temperatures rise. Check with your physician about vaccinations, antibiotics and other medicine you'll need to bring along if you're headed abroad.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control maintains a comprehensive web page called CDC Travelers' Health. There you'll find the latest news on epidemics and water contamination risks, along with the recommended vaccinations and medications. The CDC also provides advice about pets, children and students studying abroad .
