Preparing for Stomach Trouble
Today’s topic isn’t a pleasant one, but I believe it is an important one. I’ve written before about making sure you have some meds on hand to deal with stomach problems, but I have recently had some stomach trouble and it drove home what a problem it can be. Though my trouble was minor, it still had me out of action at times. I was blessed to have my stomach issues outside of a survival situation. However, in a survival situation, being taken out by any stomach trouble could have dire consequences.
I’m not a doctor. You should consult yours if you have questions or want more information. You are responsible for whatever you consume. Everything I am recommending is either over-the-counter or medicinal herbs known to aid in various digestive issues. You should research any wild edible before consuming it.
Making Matters Worse
Stress and changes to the diet can cause those who normally don’t suffer from heart burn, nausea, constipation, diarrhea or any other digestive issue to have them. If you normally suffer from digestive issues, stress and changes to the diet can make matters worse.
My point here is that even if you don’t normally have stomach issues, in a high stress survival situation, you may. Being prepared ahead of time can keep an already bad situation from getting horribly worse. Even if you don’t have digestion issues, others around you may, and you’ll be a super hero for helping them out.
Common Ailments and Their Home Treatment
Diarrhea
Diarrhea kills 1.5 million children worldwide every year. That’s more than AIDS. The most common reason is unclean drinking water. In hurricanes or floods, the water is often contaminated with all kinds of filth.
OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)
Here are some OTC remedies that may help stop diarrhea; Imodium, Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate.
Herbal Remedies
Astringent herbs help dry up the mucus membrane of the intestine. Some herbs with astringent properties are; blackberry leaf or raspberry leaf. Extract of bilberry also has astringent qualities, but do not take it if you’re taking anticoagulants, as it can cause excessive bleeding.
Chamomile is an herb that may help with diarrhea; it is often used in teas. Goldenseal is another herb. It contains berberine, which has been shown to help with infectious diarrhea.
Dehydration
There are some schools of thought that say you should let diarrhea run its course. The trouble with this is that leaving it to run its course could lead to dehydration. To stave off dehydration you can store Pedialyte, Gatorade or mix your own Poor Man’s Gatorade..
Nausea
Nausea can be caused by a wide variety of things. It can cause one to lose their appetite, and in a survival situation there is a good chance you’ll be burning off more calories than you normally do.
OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)
Here are some common OTC remedies that can help with nausea; Dramamine Chewable Tablets, Emetrol Cherry Flavored Liquid, Marezine for Motion Sickness Tablets, Triptone for Motion Sickness and Pepto-Bismol.
Herbal Remedies
Many of the herbal remedies can be brewed into a tea. Others you might cook with. Some of them are: ginger, chamomile, peppermint, clove, anise, basil, cumin, and concentrates of aloe. These have been shown to sooth the symptoms in many digestive conditions.
Constipation
Adding fiber to your diet may help with constipation, but in times of high stress, fiber may not help. I remember in boot camp, we ate more food than we would have if we were at home. We were very active and we had at least ten men who suffered from constipation.
OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)
There are five different groups of OTC meds. They are:
Oral osmotics: Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia, Miralax
Bulk formers: Benefiber, Citrucel, Fiber Choice, Metamucil
Oral stimulants; Ex-lax, Senokot
Oral stool softeners; Colace, Kaopectate
Rectal stimulants; Bisacodyl, Pedia-Lax, Dulcolax
Herbal Remedies
Again, many of these herbal remedies can be brewed into tea or used in cooking. Slippery Elm can have laxative effects; Calendula is traditionally used for abdominal cramps and constipation. Flax, rose hips, and dandelion are a gentle stimulant to digestion and are mild laxatives.
Untreated constipation can lead to an impacted bowel. Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy recently wrote an article on fecal impaction.
Heartburn
Added stress can lead to more acid in the stomach, which can sometimes cause indigestion and heartburn.
OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)
Antacids; there are two types, the kind you take at the onset of heartburn, and acid blockers. Some types of antacids you can take at the onset of heartburn are: Alka-Seltzer, Tums, Milk of Magnesia, Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids and Pepto-Bismol. Some types of acid blockers are: Axid AR, Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, Zantac 75.
Herbal Remedies
Just a few herbal remedies include: dandelion, fennel, catnip, peppermint and lemon balm.
Gas/Bloating
Let’s face it, many Prepper’s have an abundance of beans in their food storage. Having a way to counteract the magical fruit just makes sense.
OTC Remedies (Over The Counter)
Here are some OTC ways to counteract gas: Gas-X, Alka-Seltzer Anti-Gas and Mylicon. Beano can be taken before you eat to help stop gas from forming.
Herbal Remedies
Here are some various herbs that can be brewed into tea or used in cooking that can aide in stopping gas and bloating. Fennel is a traditional herbal remedy for gas and bloating, as are peppermint, catnip, chamomile and cardamom.
Hopefully, with this info, you can stock up on a few items that can help you “stay in the game” in the future.
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