Posted on 06/30/2011 6:41:48 AM PDT by blam
The Four Most Likely Ways You Can Die If The SHTF
Tess Pennington
June 30th, 2011
Ready Nutrition
The subject of survival in a long term disaster goes beyond having stockpiles of beans, bullets and band-aids. Those that do survive during a long term emergency will no doubt be tried and tested with a great many things. One of those trying scenarios is dealing with death.
Zombie attacks seem to be a prevalent theme for preppers to prepare for. In fact, the CDC has even posted a preparedness article on how to ward off zombie attacks. While I believe these zombies will likely take the form of substance abusers, mental patients, chronically ill or diseased, and desperate individuals whose basic needs have not been met, they will die out in the first few months of an onset of a major disaster, and there presence will rarely be an issue in a long term situation.
In reality, a majority of those that will die during a long-term disaster will be from illnesses brought on by acute respiratory infections due to cramped living conditions, poor water conditions (or lack of), or bacterial infections from wounds. If we survive a major disaster, America would become a third world country and the aftermath of such a scenario will be similar to those living in Africa, Ethiopia and India.
Illness Due to Poor Water Conditions
Typically, any diseases that are brought on by lack of sanitation and hygiene are controllable and preventable. In a disaster where water sources are compromised, people within a 50 mile radius could be adversely impacted by illness and disease if just one person incorrectly handles water or incorrectly disposes of waste. Contaminated water, poor sanitation and/or lack of hygeine leads to diseases such as Hepatitis A, viral gastroenteritis, cholera, Shigellosis, typhoid, Diphtheria and polio. If these diseases affect enough people, an epidemic will ensue.
Dehydration and diarrhea are also water-related matters to contend with. Those without adequate water conditions and/or are suffering from disease brought on by poor water conditions could quickly dehydrate. These types of illnesses typically affect at-risk populations such as children, the sick and the elderly. Young children in particular are at high risk for diarrhea and other food- and waterborne illnesses because of limited pre-existing immunity and behavioral factors such as frequent hand-to-mouth contact. The greatest risk to an infant with diarrhea and vomiting is dehydration. In addition, fever or increased ambient temperature increases fluid losses and speeds dehydration. Having knowledge beforehand on how to properly clean drinking water and food, and the symptomatology and treatment of these types of diseases can prevent further outbreaks from occurring.
Recommended preparedness items: water filtration systems, water purification tablets, chlorine granules, bleach, electrolyte or rehydration powders, anti-diarrea medicines.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition from either improper water conditions or from lack of nutrients is also a large killer amongst those in impoverished communities. Medical experts say there is a symbiotic relationship between malnutrition and diarreah. Malnutrition increases the severity of diarrhea while diarrhea can cause malnutrition. Either way, prevention for both of these health issues is key.
Those that are malnourished are more suseptible to illness and disease. Individuals who are malnourished will also be vitamin deficient and their health is likely to regress further. Those who survive from malnutrition are permanently affected by this disease and may suffer from recurring sickness, faltering growth, poor brain development, increased tooth decay, reduced strength and work capacity, and increased chance of chronic diseases in adulthood. Adult women with this condition will give birth to underweight babies.
Recommended preparedness items: dietary supplements, vitamin powders, seeds for sprouting or seeds for fresh vegetables and fruits, survival bars, knowledge of alternative means to attain vitamins
Acute Respiratory Infections
Upper respiratory infections (URI) will also be a leading cause of death in a long term disaster. Upper respiratory infections include: colds, flu, sore throat, coughs and bronchitis can usually be cured with additional liquids, rest and nourishment. Allowing the illness to exacerbate will lead to secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia. The germs from pneumonia are easily spread from an infected person to others by coughing or sneezing or through close contact. A major concern about respiratory infections is that there are many drug resistant strands of viruses, bacterias and diseases (including tuberculosis), that regular medicine will not cure. In a long term disaster situation, many could perish.
To properly prepare for this type of medical situation, learn about the more prevalent viruses and bacterias in your country and how to prevent them in order to provide a healthy living environment in a long term situation.
Not only are URI’s a concern but other air-borne diseases such as tuberculosis will likely fester during a long term scenario. In regular non-SHTF times, treatment for tuberculosis requires 6-12 months of medication. In a long term emergency, chances of surviving tuberculosis are slim. The best way to prevent tuberculosis is adequate nutrition, vitamin D and living in a properly ventilated shelter.
Survival groups that have multiple people living under one roof will only increase the likelihood of passing air-borne infections and diseases to one another. In addition, those in an at-risk group (elderly, immuno-deficient, infants) are more likely to catch illnesses. If a survival group is sharing a home, an infirmary or sick room should be prepared for those who have fallen ill. Isolating the person who is ill will limit exposure to the other members of the group. Adequate nutrition, water, rest, good sanitary practices and ventilation of the home is essential in curbing this.
Recommended preparedness items: decongestants, expectorants, upper respiratory medicines, antibiotics (for secondary and bacterial infections), knowledge on medicinal herbs, prepare a sick room at your survival homestead
Infections From Wounds
Open injuries have the potential for serious bacterial wound infections, including gas gangrene and tetanus, and these in turn may lead to long term disabilities, chronic wound or bone infection, and death. Anitibiotics will be few and far between and will be more precious than gold. Without proper medicines, antiseptic and knowledge on proper medical procedures, many will die of bacterial infections. Learning medical skills, gaining knowledge on natural medicines and alternative medical antiseptic (i.e., Dakin’s Solution) before a disaster occurs could help people survive from wound infections. Also, ensuring the area that you treat medical emergencies is clean and as sterile as possible may also prevent bacterial infections.
Recommended preparedness items: stock up on maxi pads for wound absorption, gauze, celox, antibiotics, suture needles and other basic first aid supplies
Additionally, consider developing the following skills: basic first aid class, sign up for EMT classes in your community, an off-grid medical care class such as those offered by onPoint Tactical. Also, consider investing in books such as When There is No Doctor and When There is No Dentist
Also look into making your own antiseptics utilizing alcohol distillation, such as the custom made units from LNL Protekt.
These illnesses (provided above) have impacted countries all over the world. These illness and conditions, coupled with unsanitary living conditions such as substandard sanitation, inadequate food and water supplies and poor hygiene, make disaster-affected people especially vulnerable to disease. These illnesses will affect us no matter what part of the world we live in, what socio-economic status we currently hold, and no matter how prepared we think we are.
Understanding what can happen and being prepared when it does is absolutely essential. The last thing we want to do when a serious condition arises is to panic. Preparing your supplies, developing your skills and educating the rest of your family and preparedness group on how to prevent, identify and counteract these serious conditions will provide a significant boost to your ability to survive if the worst happens.
Recommended Reading:
Patriot Nurse: 5 Diseases that Will Explode WTSHTF
Prevention and Management of Wound Infections
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Emergencies
No need to go rogue. Do the best you can. Research alternatives to pain. Herbs, acupuncture, ect. just do the best you can. Then pray, God will take care of what you can’t take care of.
Seriously, how could I answer that? I don't know you!
Reading it would probably be scarier than listening to the audio. The story is structured as chapters of people relating their experiences in the Great Zombie War. The perspectives were interesting, I thought.
You can joke about it all day - but if it really were to happen, it would be horrifying beyond anything we could imagine.
I work in a hospital. Just to think what would happen if a hospital was without power, or supplies — it’s just incomprehensible. People in society are SO crazy — you have no idea.
I pray that we as Americans rise up and fight against ALL powers that are so intent on destroying our decent way of life. We truly are the beacon of the world — and we need to really understand that we MUST keep going and we must keep afloat. If we don’t, it’s just over.
I hate reading this stuff, too — it destroys the dreams I’ve had for myself, for my kids and family.
Where or where are LEADERS who will speak to us truthfully — about this very thing. Aren’t THEY worried? They will be affected, too. Or do they all just prefer to stick their heads in the sand? I don’t get it.
Leftist “leaders” inherently believe that they’ll never have to suffer the consequences of their policies.
In most cases, they probably have the wealth to insulate themselves, temporarily, from those consequences. But any protracted “grid down” time will eventually get to them, and they will try to use the remaining power of the state to force others to supply their needs.
God has been teaching me these past 10 years to rely on Him more and on me less. He is Father God, Papa, the one who loves us all more than we could ever imagine. That doesn’t mean we sit on our butts and do nothing, twiddle our thumbs and wait for God to serve us. What He has taught me is don’t worry, trust Him, learn to have faith(you can’t work that up on your own, get help from the Holy Spirit), do what I can do in the physical, what I know to do, most of all prepare spiritually and leave the rest up to Him.
Ewwww, yea I didn’t even think about the garbage piling up. Oh my gosh and that would be fast too. Then you’d get the rat population explosion. Another black death waiting to happen?
That’s pretty much my life.
I’m not joking about that concern, and I know it would be horrifying to some more than others. I have lived in poverty and I am well acquainted with living in less than ideal conditions.
Regarding “When will a leader stand up?” that leader is you. As one Freeper aptly responded to another (The first said, “When are we going to put an end to this?”), the second replied “When we start saying I and not WE.”
We are the solution. Self reliance, with an acceptance of God, is the only way to not take the poisoned apple. The fact is that until we cease to be a Godless society and say NO, in sufficient numbers, becoming the vocal and not silent, majority, nothing will change for the better. Conservatives already have the truth and the law of the harvest (you reap what you sow), on their side. They need only stand up to get the point across. There is no silver bullet, nor heroic leader. We don’t need one. We need to see to ourselves, and end the entitlements that pillage a person’s self worth.
When that happens, if we need a leader, they’ll be everywhere.
The number one reason you will die,is at the hands of hungry desperate people.
I’ll look it up.
Amen!!! Makes life so much easier and so much more pleasant.
Outside of the zombies, this sort of thing happens a lot...just go to one of the current war zones.
“Ewwww, yea I didn’t even think about the garbage piling up. Oh my gosh and that would be fast too. Then you’d get the rat population explosion. Another black death waiting to happen?”
My thoughts exactly. Imagine, for example if in NYC, everyone is quarantined. In the highrises, with no running water, imagine how long before thousands of people are chucking bags of human feces out the windows. Imagine the rampant Rat population (Rat gestation is 3-4 weeks, and they can be perpetually pregnant). Then think of the MRSA Staph in hospitals and flesh eating bacteria, etc. running rampant through the population. People ARE NOT going to dig waste holes in mass. And those they may have any extra food, will probably have it rot in the fridge if the power went out.
The stench will be horrifying. Imagine the smell of death everywhere. Whether it be those who die in their apartment with no one to carry them out, or the feral dogs that people turn loose as they cannot feed them. In the book “Lights out” by David Crawford (about an EMP), the packs of dogs turn feral like wolves and start killing people.
The number of ways that I can imagine things getting ugly is possibly endless (well, respectively), but the thing I find most troublesome is the disease. Because you don’t know when a runaway rat dropping or stray mosquito will make you sick and miserable for a long, long time. (Which I find much worse than simple death).
Got that right. The only strife I have, is here on FR...it sure ain’t much and that’s mostly my own fault.
Well said, JDW. (Also, sorry — didn’t insinuate that you personally were joking about it ...was just directing that at the general thread.)
I am prepping, but am not in any way ready for any such type scenario. I am only in the beginning stages. I could survive with my family about a week w/ what we have. It’s just frightening and we live right outside a major city. We have an old house w/ land way out in the middle of nowhere in Missouri - but to go there and try to live would be like the Pilgrims surviving the first winter at Plymouth Rock.
I plan soon to get a water filtration system, and get to the dentist and MD for check ups and have done whatever needs done.
Also stocking food, silver, ammo, and looking at more firearms purchases in the coming weeks.
I still pray it never happens.
My teenage son is a type 1 diabetic and needs insulin to survive.
Something that I have never heard mentioned, but have thought of, is to keep a supply of those instand “Cold pack” (like for sports’ injuries), and a small cooler (maybe even inside a bigger one). Then just break/activate the small pack, and keep it in the cooler with the insulin. If you stocked up on some (they are sold at the dollar store, but also, in large quantites for cheap on the internet), you would have a very simple way to refridgerate just meds. I’d go buy some today if I were you, and then you’d at least have the peace of mind, that you’d be one step closer, to having a more permanent/workable solution.
I worry about my dad for the same reason. I understand that Jerusalem Artichokes (AKA Sunroots), are beneficial to those with Diabetes because they have some chemical related to insulin in them. They are related to the sunflower, and I am growing them this year, for the sole purpose of helping anyone with diabetes if they have no other options. They grow fast and easily, and you might like them in your yard/garden.
I hope I’ve helped in some small way. Take care, and God Bless.
Yep. My ego told me I had taken into consideration all the crap that could possibly go wrong. Then I got to the part about the nursing home. Scary book.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
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