Survival Medicine

Just back from a trip to the United Kingdom, Amy Alton ARNP and Joe Alton MD discuss some topics not recently covered in previous shows. Sleep deprivation is a serious issue: Some researchers believe that it carries health risks approaching that of cigarettes or heart disease. The mental and physical deterioration that sleep deprivation causes can break you: So much so, that it’s been used as a method of torture. The CDC estimates that up to 50-70 million Americans suffer from some kind of sleep disorder. The Altons discuss sleep disorders as an issue that can negatively affect your chances of survival in disasters, and offer some suggestions (might even help you night shift workers). Also, from time to time you'll find  the persistent notion on social media that tampons, the feminine sanitary product, are an excellent addition to your medical kit. Many, usually second- or third-hand, swear that these items saved the life of a soldier because a savvy medic made sure to carry what some call a “tactical tampon