Knowledge Weighs Nothing

How To Make Pineapple Weed Tea (Great For Stress & Insomnia)

Pineapple weed tea

You have probably seen pineapple weed thousands of times but never given it a second look. It likes yards and other trampled/beaten and unkempt areas. It is very easy to identify with its pineapple-shaped yellow flower heads. Pineapple weed is actually a close relative of chamomile, and it has similar calming/sedative properties. In fact, I would say it is a more powerful sedative than chamomile.

Pineapple tea is very simple to make and it tastes great, like a sweeter slightly pineapple version of chamomile tea. It is excellent to drink when stressed to help you relax. It is also great to drink before bed to help you sleep.

How To Make Pineapple Weed Tea

You only use the flower heads to make the tea, so go out and collect around a handful (seems about the right amount for a decent sized cup). Make sure you collect from a clean and unpolluted area. Once you have your flower heads, simply put them in a cup, teapot or French press (French press works very well), cover with boiling water and let them sit and steep for 3-5 minutes. Now simply strain and drink!

Pineapple weed tea is delicious and quite sweet by itself, but it is also amazing if you add a spoonful of honey. Give it a try!

Note: I am not aware of any issues relating to drinking pineapple weed tea and medical conditions or medications, but I am not a medical expert, so just to be on the safe side, check with your doctor if you are suffering from a serious medical condition. I am sure it’s fine but better to be safe than sorry.

(Image from Wikipedia)

How To Stop Bleeding With Black Pepper

Use black pepper to stop bleeding

When it comes to survival and wilderness first aid, I highly recommend you carry a blood clotting agent with you in your first aid kit, personally I believe that CELOX produce the best consumer available blood clotting agent, as unlike many other brands, CELOX is also effective for people on blood thinners such as heparin and warfarin etc. You can purchase CELOX here from Amazon. It is quite expensive, but simply put – it could save your life one day…

If you do not have a clotting agent such as CELOX, you can in fact use simple ground black pepper to stop bleeding quickly for small to medium sized cuts/wounds.  Black pepper is naturally antibacterial and it also makes blood coagulate quickly and stop bleeding. Black pepper was commonly used by soldiers in the Second World War, and even today it is often used in professional kitchens (probably due to its availability) to stop cuts from bleeding.

It couldn’t be simpler to use black pepper to stop bleeding – simply pour a generous amount of ground black pepper onto the wound and apply pressure (and bandage if necessary) and it should quickly stop bleeding (please use common sense though as serious cuts may still require the attention of a physician).

Note: Finely ground black pepper works best, and no, black pepper does not sting when put on a cut!

Personally I keep some CELOX in our first aid kits for emergencies, but for day-to-day and around the home, black pepper is a useful alternative for smaller wounds.

Disclaimer – I am not a medical expert, this information is based on my own experience and research. Please do your own research and exercise common sense before trying this. If you have an existing medical condition or allergy, please check that this won’t interfere with your condition or medication.

Fish Antibiotics for Humans. What You Need To Know…

SHTF antibiotics without prescription

Firstly a disclaimer. I am not a medical professional. I have simply done my own research online to a level which satisfies my own needs. Please do your own research and cross check everything you read here. Also please use antibiotics responsibly and only when absolutely required. Overuse of antibiotics can cause its own problems, due to bugs becoming resistant to them.  See the links at the bottom of the page for more details on this.

Stockpiling medication for a future disaster or a collapse of society is straightforward when it comes to non-prescription medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen etc. They are cheap to buy and readily available. However, it is not so simple to acquire and stockpile prescription medications such as common antibiotics which are required to treat infections.

To have a stockpile of antibiotics in a long-term survival situation or a collapse of society would be useful if not vital. Infection will be a big problem in these kinds of situation; for example – take away our power, water/sanitation and groceries; replace with – fires/camp stoves, survival food and untreated water. On top of this, give us knives, axes and guns (which we are largely unaccustomed to using) to chop wood, hunt and defend ourselves and it is easy to see the need to have access to antibiotics. Lot of cuts and stomach bugs…

How To Stock Up On Antibiotics In Case The SHTF?

How do you acquire/stockpile prescription antibiotics in case of emergency? Well you could try to convince your doctor it is a good idea to give you a large amount of common antibiotics to stockpile (good luck with that one!), OR you could perhaps, just go down to your local pet store…

Believe it or not, many of the common antibiotics we are prescribed are also used to keep fish healthy in aquariums. Sceptical? I bet you are, so was I, but I looked into this, and many of the antibiotic medicines used to treat bacteria in aquariums contain the same antibiotics used to treat infection in humans..  The other strange thing is these aquarium antibiotics even come in the same common dosages which are used on humans. To me that seems very strange…

I have checked several sources, some of which were created by medical doctors, and below is a list of aquarium branded medicines which (at the time of writing) contain commonly prescribed human antibiotics.

Aquarium Branded Antibiotics Containing Common Human Antibiotics

  • FISH-MOX which is Amoxicillin 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/amoxicillin.html)
  • FISH-MOX FORTE which is Amoxicillin 500mg (http://www.drugs.com/amoxicillin.html)
  • FISH-FLEX which is Keflex 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/keflex.html)
  • FISH-FLEX FORTE which is Keflex 500mg (http://www.drugs.com/keflex.html)
  • FISH-ZOLE which is Metronidazole 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/metronidazole.html)
  • FISH-PEN which is Penicillin 250mg (http://www.drugs.com/penicillin.html)
  • FISH-PEN FORTE which is Penicillin 500mg (http://www.drugs.com/penicillin.html)

***I am not going to provide any information on correct dosages or advice on allergies/precautions or what each antibiotic treats etc.  It is entirely 100% your responsibility to do your own research here.  It is vital you can identify any tablets you purchase and know what treats what and the dosage/precautions etc for the people you are treating.***

Are The Aquarium Antibiotics The Same Thing?

My understanding is that if the pill identifier numbers are the same on the aquarium antibiotics, as on the human antibiotics, and vice versa, they have to be the same thing. This makes 100% sense to me as if you overdosed on one of the antibiotics, you would provide the pill identifier number to Poison Control for example, and they would identify the ingredients based on the pill identifier number regardless of whether they are prescription antibiotics or aquarium antibiotics.

All of the antibiotics above require a prescription from a doctor and usually a doctor will only prescribe a single course of treatment to cure your illness. However, they can all be bought from pet stores without prescription. This means you can stockpile these common antibiotics, in case the SHTF, something which would normally be impossible to achieve.

The bottom line is – we should not start going to the pet store when we have a cough or a sore throat, as it is clearly important to get a diagnosis and treatment from a doctor.  I think the thing to bear in mind is that in the future, if things go wrong, we will have to improvise many things and many things may be less than ideal.  We should be reluctant to take aquarium branded antibiotics today, but having access to some in a SHTF future could be vital.

I for one, will not be taking aquarium antibiotics whilst I have access to a doctor and prescription medications. If the SHTF in the future and aquarium antibiotics are my only option, I would cautiously and reluctantly take them. I say reluctantly as I am cautious about taking any drugs without them being 100% necessary. I will always try to give my body the chance to fight of an infection before resorting to antibiotic medication.

As a side note, I think anyone interested in emergency preparedness, or the outdoors, should purchase the book: Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to First Aid and Medical Emergencies. The book covers pretty much every medical emergency you are likely to encounter, including very detailed information and advice about treating infections, and antibiotics.

Whilst we are discussing antibiotics, be sure to read the two articles below, from the BBC. They make scary reading… Antibiotic overuse, and resistance is a real and very worrying.

12 Home Remedies For Earaches

home-remedies-earaches1

This post is quite timely for me as I currently have an ear, nose and throat infection that just won’t go away. Earache is a bit like toothache – it sounds like a minor inconvenience, but the pain from both can be excruciating…

If you suffer with earaches regularly or you have young children who seem especially prone, check out the post below from ‘Common Sense Homesteading’  which details 12 home remedies to help cure earache and reduce pain. Personally when at home I use one of those microwaveable wheat bags and place it on my ear, I find the heat soothes the pain.  You could also try a hot water bottle.

12 Home Remedies For Earaches

(Photo from: Common Sense Homesteading)

The 3 BEST Home Remedies for Mosquito Bites

Home remedies for mosquito bites

You’re enjoying a lovely evening with your friends or family, when the familiar ‘buzz’ begins to form around you. Within a matter of minutes, you’re reduced to nothing more than a big ball of itch thanks to the wonders of the common mosquito. While your reaction to a mosquito bite may vary, the resulting itch, redness and swelling is due to an anticoagulant compound injected into your skin. This compound inhibits your blood from clotting, which results in itching and red, swollen bumps.

Mosquito bite home remedies run the gambit, but the following three remedies are tried-and-true for their effectiveness and simplicity. Stop covering yourself in synthetic chemicals for mosquito bite relief. Rather, turn to these three natural remedies for near-instant relief and comfort.

Update: be sure to check out our post on witch hazel, as witch hazel is great soothing mosquito bites.

Rather the treat the mosquito bites, why not prevent them in the first place by planting some mosquito repellent plants in your garden. One of the plants can even be rubbed on skin and clothing to act as a topical mosquito repellent.

Bubble the Itch Away With Hydrogen Peroxide

Used as a common disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide has a myriad of uses, eliminating a mosquito bite itch is one of them. Available in 3% concentration from any pharmacy or drug store, when applied immediately after noticing a mosquito bite, hydrogen peroxide is known to eliminate itch and swelling.

How to Use lt

  • Soak a cotton ball in 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Apply directly on the mosquito bite.
  • Secure with a bandage for 10 to 15 minutes
  • Remove and enjoy an itch-free afternoon

Apple Cider Vinegar and Aloe for Lasting Relief

Separately, apple cider vinegar and aloe have been used to treat the itch and swelling of mosquito bites; however, when combined, you have a powerhouse treatment. Both ingredients actively work to reduce inflammation and provide itch relief. Due to the acidic nature of ACV, be careful if you have sensitive skin.

How to Use

  • Pour 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar into a small bowl
  • Add 2 teaspoons of pure aloe into the bowl
  • Mix with a spoon until both ingredients are thoroughly combined
  • With your fingers, apply directly to the mosquito bites
  • Re-apply throughout the day until the itch and swelling have diminished

Soothing Salt Paste

Much like the aforementioned mosquito bite remedies, salt paste works to eliminate symptoms of mosquito bites by reducing inflammation and drying out mosquito saliva, which causes swelling and itching. This remedy is ideal for those with sensitive skin, as it doesn’t use harsh oils or acidic compounds. While table salt works fine, pure Himalayan salt is recommended by holistic practitioners for its ability to promote vascular health.

How to Use

  • Pour 2 teaspoons of table salt into a small container
  • Place 3 to 5 drops of water into the salt to create a paste
  • Mix into a paste by stirring the salt and water mixture with a toothpick. Stir in a circular motion until the paste is smooth and free from salt bumps.
  • Liberally apply the paste directly onto the bite.
  • Cover with a band aid and allow the paste to fully dry
  • Wash the paste off and re-apply, if necessary
(Image from: Wikipedia)

600 Reasons Turmeric Is The World’s Most Important Herb

turmeric

Turmeric is one of the most medically and scientifically studied plants/herbs on the plant, but most of us just know it as one of the main ingredients in Indian curries.

As a keen runner I was aware that turmeric has very powerful anti-inflammatory painkilling properties. It is widely used by sports men/women as a natural alternative to taking ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and injuries. Turmeric has also been proven to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis… Below is a website that lists 600 studies where turmeric was successfully used to treat a whole manner of health conditions. It makes very interesting reading, and if you suffer from one of the conditions covered, it could be worth doing some research on dosage/preparation and giving turmeric a go.

600 Reasons Turmeric Is The World’s Most Important Herb

(Photo from:  thedabblist)

Which Drug-Free Headache Remedies Actually Work?

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A bad headache can ruin your day. This is true in day-to-day life in familiar surroundings at home or at work etc… Imagine how much worse a bad head ache would be in a survival situation, or if you had no access to over the counter painkillers.

The question is – if you don’t have access to simple painkillers, what natural alternatives are actually effective at relieving headaches? Well as with most things medical/survival, I rely on the Survival Doctor (James Hubbard, MD, MPH) for some answers. Dr James has written a great post about how to relieve headaches without drugs. Check it out below.

Which Drug-Free Headache Remedies Actually Work?

(Photo from:  openDemocracy)

5 Lightning Safety Tips For When You’re Caught in a Storm

Cloud_to_ground_lightning_strikes_south-west_of_Wagga_Wagga

Lightning is one of those things that divides people – on the one side you have the people who are terrified of lightning, who run indoors for fear of being struck by lightning. On the other side, you have the people who just carry on regardless, assuming there is nothing to worry about as no one really gets struck by lightning…

As with many things like this, I think the best approach is somewhere in the middle – there is a serious and real danger undertaking certain activities in a lightning storm, that said, it doesn’t mean the whole world has to stop until the storm has passed.

If you do find yourself stuck out in thunder and lightning, below are 5 tips and some additional advice to help keep you safe.

5 Lightning Safety Tips For When You’re Caught in a Storm

(Photo from: Wikimedia Commons)

List Of 150 Herbs, Together With Their Uses & Benefits

List-Of-150-Herbs-With-Uses-And-Benefits

You’re either a person who embraces the use of plants and herbs, or you a person who would rather purchase the chemical/pharmaceutical alternative. Either way there is no disputing that certain herbs have very clear and proven medicinal uses and other wide ranging properties.

For example, St John’s Wort is a herb/plant, but it is also one of the most common prescription anti-depressants in many countries, with trials showing it can be as effective as low dose pharmaceutical alternatives, for treating mild to moderate depression. Cacao has many medicinal benefits, with its most popular benefit being that it can dramatically lower high blood pressure when consumed daily, which is an excellent reason to have a daily cup of high cacao chocolate (at least 80% cocoa)… There are 150+ herbs listed below, have a look and find out about the uses of benefits of each.

List Of 150 Herbs, Together With Their Uses & Benefits

 

(Photo from:  Herbs Info)

If You Don’t Have An IFAK You’re Ignorant…

IFAK-Individual-First-Aid-Kits-and-Survival-1024x711

Many of you are reading this post to see just what an IFAK is, and that’s the whole point of the title! IFAK stands for – Individual First Aid Kit. It is a small first aid kit which it carried with you everywhere…

The thing is – many of the people who follow K.W.N. are people who spend a lot of time outdoors doing things which are inherently dangerous, but many of these people don’t carry a adequate first aid kit with them, and that needs to change. No matter what it is you are doing, if you are outdoors and more than 20 minutes from home or help, you should be carrying an IFAK and if you have children with you, it is even more vital to do so… You can read more on individual first aid kits and what they should contain, on the link below.

If You Don’t Have An IFAK You’re Ignorant…

(Photo from: usCrow)