Surviving the Medical Meltdown (26 page)

Pain in the jaw or arm

Shortness of breath

Light-headedness

Nausea

Vomiting

PROTECT YOUR HEART THE “ANTI-AGING” WAY

Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible.

Eat only good natural fats: olive oil, coconut oil, animal fat, butter. Do not use man-made fats, such as Crisco, corn oil, or margarine.

Take the essential supplements outlined in
appendix B
.

Avoid gluten and generally eat low-carb.

Get regular exercise, especially weight training.

Keep your hormones at youthful levels through supplementation when indicated.

LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS OR CHANGED MENTAL STATUS

Anyone with an altered mental status for no apparent reason needs medical evaluation. While waiting to get to the hospital or awaiting transport, it is important to look for clues – change in skin color, shortness of breath, a new odor to the breath. There are whole books written about the diagnosis of altered mentation or coma,
so you are not in the position of always sorting this out. But there are steps to take:

1.
While waiting for transport, make sure to remove any constricting clothing.

2.
If possible apply oxygen.

3.
If the patient is awake and will not choke, drink clear water to rehydrate.

4.
Since the brain blood flow may be compromised, it makes sense to keep the head only slightly above horizontal, so have the person reclining.

5.
If the patient is a known diabetic, it is important to give him or her orange juice or something to raise the blood sugar.

6.
Look for clues for accidental poisoning (see below).

7.
Assemble the patient’s medications for transport with her as well as her medical record (see
appendix D
for creating the personal medical record).

POISONING

In cases of poisoning or suspected poisoning, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. If the substance is caustic (see sidebar “Caustic Household Chemicals”), rinse the mouth with a little water or milk to remove any caustic chemical residue and seek medical help immediately. Caustic substances appear to burn the mouth and are associated with swelling, drooling, and painful swallowing. These are difficult to deal with, and
the only safe thing to do is to give clear water to dilute the substance
. All other recommendations here apply to NON-CAUSTIC poisons.

While waiting for the doctor, if the substance is not caustic (see sidebar “Common Nontoxic Substances”) and very damaging to tissues, try to induce vomiting. (This is not very effective as time passes, and it does not get rid of all the stomach’s contents.) This can
be done by inserting fingers in the mouth and either pushing the tongue backward or touching the back of the throat. You can drink a warm mustard solution (see below). Any patient who is vomiting or trying to vomit should either be over a receptacle or on his side. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING WHILE THE VICTIM IS ON HIS BACK BECAUSE HE MAY INHALE THE VOMIT.