Home Health Supplies for a State of Emergency

After a natural disaster like the Japan earthquake of March 2011, staying healthy should be a top priority for every family. It can take days for rescue workers to get to some of those most seriously affected by the emergency, and even longer for people in outlying areas. Knowing how to keep your family safe and well when you can't get to a doctor or pharmacy is an important survival skill. Fortunately, there are simple home alternatives for many commercial health care products.

Clean Water in an Emergency
After a natural disaster, clean water can help prevent diseases like cholera that are spread by contaminated water, and have had devastating effects after events like the 2010 Haitian earthquake. The Centers for Disease Control recommend having one gallon of bottled water on hand per person and pet, per day in case of emergency. Have enough water on hand for at least three days. To make more clean water after a disaster, the CDC recommends boiling for one to three minutes. If boiling is not possible, add two drops of household chlorine bleach to a quart of clear water, shake well and let sit 30 minutes. Store in a sealed and sanitized container.

Hand washing with clean water and soap is the best way to cut the spread of disease after a natural disaster. Alcohol-based hand cleaners can be helpful, but should not be used if hands are visibly soiled. Bottled or disinfected water must be used for drinking, cooking and washing dishes, hand washing and personal hygiene, and cleaning of wounds until authorities verify the local water supply is safe.

Homemade Electrolyte Solution
If you have to care for a sick child during a disaster, you may need an electrolyte solution to prevent dehydration from diarrhea. The Rehydration Project recommends making a homemade solution from ½ teaspoon table salt and 6 teaspoons sugar, to five cupfuls of safe drinking water. Get the child to take sips of the solution and continue to offer normal food and drink, including water. Avoid soft drinks, sweetened or caffeinated beverages, and herbal teas. Continue to breastfeed nursing infants. The solution can also be offered to adults who need emergency fluids.

Exposure to Radiation
A nuclear meltdown is one of the most frightening scenarios after a disaster like Japan's recent earthquake. Radioactive particles released into the air can be inhaled by people in the surrounding area. Potassium iodide pills or solutions can protect the thyroid gland by blocking out radioactive iodine, I-131. According to the National Library of Medicine, this treatment is most effective if taken within the first two hours after exposure.

For those who cannot get the medication within the first hours after exposure to radiation, the Health Physics Society says a safe home alternative is painting the forearm with 8 ml - about 0.25 oz - of tincture of iodine or providone iodine (betadine) to supply one adult dose of stable iodine.

Home and alternative remedies can help your household make it through a natural or nuclear disaster, at least until help can reach you. For more information on preparing for an emergency, consult the web sites linked in this article. During an emergency, be sure to listen for local public health information and to follow advice about potential evacuations. Individuals with allergies or specific health issues should consult their doctor or pharmacist before preparing and using any alternative medicine.