Survival Medicine

Lately, there have been a lot of angry young people carrying flags that aren't red, white, and blue. One day you might find yourself in the midst of these unhappy folks, which is what we call "cruising for a bruising." Dr. Joe Alton tells you strategies on how to stay safe in times of civil unrest. Plus, the medic in times of trouble must have the knowledge and ability to close wounds when it's ap...

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe Alton and Nurse PractitionerAlton discuss the recent outbreak of tuberculosis cases on the West Coast, and how to prevent it from affecting your family in good times or bad. Don't worry, it's not an epidemic in the U.S., even though it accounted for more than a million deaths in Africa and Asia in 2022! Also, everything you need to know abo...

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe and Nurse Amy Alton discuss important tips on controlling bleeding wounds (18 tips, as a matter of fact!), The cover-up (alleged) of the true origins of COVID-19 by the powers that be, biologic weapons in warfare, the pros and cons of the LifeVac dechoking device, and how to prevent lightheadedness and fainting when donating blood. All this...

You know, we talk a lot about medical supplies that you have to get serious training for, like tourniquets, hemostatic dressings, decompression needles, and the like, but there are important supplies you probably have right now in your medicine cabinet that are also very important for the survival medic in long-term disaster settings. Dressings, bandages, antiseptics, and much more are discussed i...

Joe and Amy Alton's Survival Medicine Podcast discusses the start of tornado season and how to get yourself prepared, [lus basics of draining boils and abscesses off the grid. Dr. Bones takes a hard look at medical skills needed to survive, listing them out, and giving a reasoned look on how to be a successful family medic in times of trouble. Also, Dr. Alton takes a question from a listener on te...

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy discuss hard realities regarding survival situations, and how the family medic needs a mindset adjustment to be effective in that role. Also, Dr. Joe Alton talks about cold-related extremities injuries like frostbite and immersion (trench) foot. Amy Alton, NP, discuss what you need to know about the basics of essential oils...

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe and Nurse Amy Alton discuss cold weather exposure and its ill effects, known as "hypothermia." Plus, the medic has to know how to deal with mundane issues as well as the sensational "prepper" problems like disaster trauma. One of these issues is lice. Dr. Alton tells you everything you need to know about lice: head lice, body lice, and publ...

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe Alton and Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton lament the loss of fish and other equivalent antibiotics due to the actions of the FDA, leaving the family medic in survival settings with one less tool in the medical woodshed. Also, Dr. Bones discusses important strategies to stay safe in your vehicle this winter, even if stranded in a blizzard. Also...

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe Alton and Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton proudly announce their first children's book, "Snowbie, the first snowman," a heartwarming story of how snowmen came to be, great Christmas bedtime reading for little ones! Reading to children helps develop listening, vocabulary, social, and other skills that last well into their teens. Check out Snowb...

Dr. Joe and Nurse Amy Alton discuss dental issues, gouty arthritis, yellow fever, more in this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, broadcast from the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains! You might be ,medically prepared, but are you dentally prepared? Most family medics don't realize that, in survival scenarios, they're bound to come across dental issues with little or no knowledge or supplies....

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe and Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton discuss a wide range of medical topics from tic disorders to acid relux to wound care. Amy gives a thorough overview of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the various treatments used, their advantages and disadvantages.  Dr. Joe Alton discusses wound care and how proper irrigation of an open wound h...

In this episode of The Survival Medicine Podcast., Dr. Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, discuss upcoming fall season issues like colds, flus, respiratory syncytial virus, headaches, quality control of herbal drugs, and the myth of the popular OTC drug phenylephrine as an effective nasal decongestant in cold and flu season. Also, learn about the basics of protective vests in survival...

Recent hurricanes on the West and East coast have threatened millions, and it's important for you to know what to do if one of these juggernauts is heading in your direction. Dr. Joe Alton tell you what you need to know. Last time, we talked about shark attacks, but many more people are injured by less scary critters like sting rays and jellyfish. Dr. Alton tells you what to do for these injuries,...

You’d have to look far and wide for someone who hasn’t been stung by an insect at one point or another.  It’s not pleasant in any situation, but bees and wasps especially can inflict some real discomfort if you run afoul of them. In a small minority of cases, allergic reactions to the venom injected can be life-threatening, a condition known as “anaphylaxis.” Find out more about wasp and bee sting...

It’s true that a survival group needs someone with medical knowledge and supplies to treat heavy bleeding and orthopedic injuries. Indeed, the average survival medical kit concentrates on these issues to the exclusion of much else. Even well-prepared medics don’t realize that they’ll be faced with a quite different challenge much more often: dental problems. In this podcast, Dr. Joe Alton tells yo...

In this extended episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe Alton and Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton discuss another wide range of topics, including how to make herbal remedies, dehydration from hot summer weather, how to diagnose, treat, and prevent heat-related emergencies, soft tissue infections like cellulitis, and much more.... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad! Joe and...

In this extended episode of the Survival Medicine Podcast, Joe Alton, MD, FACS, FACOG, and Amy Alton APRN, CNM go into various diverse topics! Dr. Joe Alton discusses bleeding issues in honor of National Stop The Bleed Day, then pivots, as school ends, to the Great Outdoors and the ticks that inhabit it. Nurse Amy goes into making herbal meds and tells you how to put together a good herbal first a...

In a survival scenario, the family medic will be called on to care not only for medical issues, but dental as well. Military medics during the Vietnam War reported that they dealt with dental problems almost as often as medical. Therefore, the survival medic should expect much of the same. Dr. Joe Alton discusses a strategy that can take care of 90 percent of all dental emergencies: Extraction! Pl...

Water. You can't live without it, but in a survival scenario, bad water could be the reason you don't make it. In this episode, Dr. Joe Alton discusses various ways to deal with questionable water, including disinfection methods, filtering, getting fresh water from salt water, and much more. Also, you may want to hear about a new virus about as much as you'd like a hole in the head, but Ebola-like...

In this episode of The Survival Medicine Podcast, Dr. Joe Alton and Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton discuss the importance of the medic knowing their role and job description in times of trouble, plus how to decide the types and number of medical supplies should be in your storage.  Also, the train derailment in Ohio last month caused a major chemical spill. Would you know what to do if 115,000 gallo...

Recently, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused massive damage and loss of life in parts of Turkey and Syria. Over 22,000 deaths are confirmed so far, with more than 60,000 injured. Dr. Joe Alton tells you everything you need to know to increase your chances of surviving this unpredictable and devastating natural disaster. Also, Nurse Practitioner Amy Alton gives you the scoop of preventing allergies...

It's winter, and some folks are heading for ski resorts, and that means a big change in altitude for most. The National Academy of Sciences reports that 33.5% of the population lives below an elevation of 100 meters above sea level. That means that, in any major disaster, getting out of Dodge often means heading for the hills. There’s a possibility that we might have to abruptly relocate from a ho...

Winter storms like "bomb cyclones" can be life-threatening, so it's important to know how to winterize, not only your car, but yourself. In this episode, Dr. Joe Alton discusses different ways to make sure you survive that car trip out in the blizzard, including all the supplies that would make sense to keep in the car just in case. Also, dental extraction is a rare thing you'd have to do yourself...

Joe Alton MD, aka Dr. Bones, covers a broad range of topic in this episode, including traumatic brain injuries like concussions and worse. Head injuries will be common in survival settings, and the medic can still be effective even with limited supplies and materials. Also, Paxlovid, the COVID therapy, has been free so far (which is good, since it costs an average of $530) but that changes in mid-...

People in off-grid settings are often called upon to perform activities to which they’re not accustomed. In daily survival, the inexperienced will suffer mishaps that lead to injury; in situations where sanitation is questionable, these injuries carry a risk of infection, especially in unsanitary conditions. One of these is known as “cellulitis.” Dr. Joe Alton tells you what you need to know about...