Home Doctor: Practical Medicine for Every Household
Number Nine The main culprit of almost every breakfast and lunch pack, bread is a fiber rich food and also contains proteins and micronutrients giving our bodies the fuel we need for our daily activities. You definitely want to have a body fueling food at home. Number Ten Diapers and sanitary pads tend to disappear at the sight of a crisis. These are very important supplies that need to be readily available in the home since a very important percentage of the world’s population require these products; women and children being the percentage in question of course. However, diapers also come in handy for some senior adults as they advance in age. Make sure to stock up enough diapers and sanitary pads. There are so many supplies that we need to stockpile. The supplies mentioned in this chapter are just a few important ones. In Venezuela, people had to queue all night long hoping to find these supplies at the stores very early the next morning. Sometimes they got robbed while queuing and other times they went home with empty hands after queuing for days because these items were just not available. So the next time you go shopping, remember to buy the right quantity of the right supplies.
The Biggest Mistakes You Can Make in a Blackout Electricity is a basic life necessity. Many of life’s processes are powered by electricity. Food and water require electricity to remain intact. Electricity has been used over the years to pump water, store food and medications, generate heat, generate cold, make certain devices work and illuminate spaces. However, heavy rains, thunderstorms, hurricanes etc. tend to interrupt electricity functions especially when they result in a blackout. Blackouts can last for few minutes, sometimes hours, and other times for days. A power outage is an unpredictable event, which means we must be prepared for such. Knowing what not to do and what to do in a blackout is essential to survive one. Most people make mistakes that could cost them their life in a blackout. Some of the frequent mistakes people make in a blackout putting their health, and therefore their life, at risk are:
1.
Emergency Kit
Most people do not have an emergency kit in their homes in case of a disaster. In a blackout, accidents are bound to happen; there could be cuts or scrapes. An emergency kit will come in handy. Your emergency kit should contain certain over the counter medications that can be useful in a disaster, such as acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and oral rehydration solution. Other medications such as medications for chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, Asthma etc. must be readily available in your emergency kit if you have family members suffering from these illnesses. Other things you should have in your kit are a first aid kit, flash lights, extra batteries, perishable foods, extra water, and blankets. 25
