Are you prepared to survive during a long-term disaster when you can’t call a doctor? Medical preparedness is often the most difficult part of any preparedness plan. Even if you have some type of emergency medical training or are super lucky and have a doctor in your mutual assistance group, garnering needed medications will still ultimately be an issue.
Stocking up on over-the-counter medicine, using medications designed to aid animals, or stockpiling prescriptions are all options preppers routinely debate when working on their first aid disaster preps. Some feel that when the noted shelf life of a medication has passed, the pill can still be used but will be weaker and less effective. I am not a doctor or a nurse, and I only lasted as a candy striper for two weeks in middle school; only a doctor can give accurate advice on such matters.
There are other places to look for “medications” other than in the health section of big-box stores and the pharmacy that help sustain the family after the SHTF. Nature offers a plethora of ingredients that were used as medicine for centuries before “Big Pharma” thudded onto the scene.
Lemongrass is one of a multitude of essential oils that can offer health benefits to humans. Before using any essential oil, please read the warnings on the label and do a bit of research. Lemongrass, like several other oils, is not suitable for pregnant and nursing women and can be harmful if ingested in significant quantities by children and pets.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, so only a small amount is used in any given natural remedy recipe. Using a carrier oil such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, glycerin, jojoba oil, avocado oil or coconut oil (my personal favorite due to its healing properties) will make the application of the essential oil easier and creates far less waste in the process. A 2:1 ratio of essential oil to carrier oil is most commonly used in natural remedies.
Lemongrass essential oil has been used through the ages to treat indigestion, fevers and inflammation; it’s also been used as a sedative. The oil boasts anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. When used topically to relieve pain, lemongrass is known to also reduce inflammation.
Lemongrass Oil Survival First Aid Uses
Headaches – Use lemongrass essential oil to help relieve the common headache. Gently massage the oil on the temples and front of the forehead and repeat as necessary until your head stops throbbing.
Heartburn – Mix the essential oil with your favorite carrier oil and use like a salve on the chest and throat area. Gently massage the oil onto the area, spreading it around thoroughly. Repeat as needed.
Fever – Mix together a 2:1 ratio of coconut oil and lemongrass oil and rub it gently and completely onto the chest, neck and the soles of your feet to help reduce fever.
Shock and Fatigue – Massaging lemongrass oil onto your temples like you would to relieve a headache is often used to reduce fatigue. Reducing fatigue after a rugged hike to safety might be achieved by placing cotton balls dampened with essential oil around the home or bugout retreat as a form of aromatherapy. Douse cotton balls and place them under the nose of the person who has gone into shock to help them regain their composure.
Tendons and Muscles – Tightened muscles and sore tendons will likely become commonplace when increased physical activity is required during a doomsday scenario, especially if the cause is a downed power grid. Firmly massaging lemongrass essential oil on the muscles and tendons will often help reduce swelling, soreness, spasms and overall discomfort.
Wound Treatment – Mix together several drops of lemongrass essential oil (two for small to medium wounds) with either an equal amount of witch hazel or saline solution to thoroughly flush the wounds. Witch hazel also boasts healing properties and helps to reduce swelling from bruises.
Athlete’s Foot – Keeping your feet fully functional and free from discomfort could be a matter of life and death during a long-term disaster. Athlete’s foot is basically a fungal skin infection that is commonly treated with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter remedies. You can stock up on the spray or go all natural and use lemongrass essential oil instead. A drop of the essential oil mixed with a drop of a carrier oil massaged onto the feet once in the morning and once before bedtime should help dry up the skin fungus in just a few days.
Arthritis – Joint pain can become crippling. Although there is no known cure for arthritis, lemongrass oil can help to temporarily reduce the joint swelling and pain so limbs and digits function more normally. Both geranium and birch essential oils also help reduce arthritis pain for some sufferers. Mixing either one, or both, of those oils with the lemongrass and massaging it onto the affected joints may help relieve pain; repeat as needed. Birch oil is not recommended for individuals taking blood-thinning medication.
Water Retention – Lemongrass oil is believed to be a diuretic. The essential oil may help flush toxins from the body topically by rubbing it onto the skin or by putting one drop into a glass of tea or water and ingesting.
High Blood Pressure – The oil has been used to help reduce high blood pressure. Lemongrass is reportedly a “vasodilator” and can help relax strained blood vessels.
Acne – If you have teenagers in your family or mutual assistance group, there’s a good chance they’re battling acne. Use lemongrass essential oil as a mild astringent to help heal and prevent the return of the sores. Gently clean the face with the oil once or twice daily. Again, do not forget the importance of morale boosters during a lengthy disaster; teens are moody creatures — who wants to deal with a 16-year-old girl obsessing about complexion when there are guns to clean and crops to harvest?
Sprains and Strains – Gently pat or wrap some lemongrass oil around the sprain or strain to help reduce swelling and promote healing. Dampening a paper sack with the oil and wrapping it around the ankle, knee, elbow, or wrist will keep the oil from running off while still allowing the person to move around and complete light chores. As a coach, I have used both lemongrass oil and distilled white vinegar dampened on paper sacks to care for sprains and strains.
Stomach Aches – Massage a few drops of lemongrass oil onto the abdomen to help aid in the digestion process and to thwart the aching.
Natural Cleaning Products – Keeping the home clean prevents the spread of germs. Mix the lemongrass with some rubbing alcohol or distilled white vinegar and wipe down surfaces that are commonly touched, such as doorknobs, faucets and countertops.
Fleas and Insects – Bugs do not appear to like lemongrass essential oil. Put some of the oil into a squirt bottle and spray onto your clothing and skin to repel bugs. Check with your vet first, and if he/she gives the A-OK, the oil can be sprayed in specific amounts onto your cats and dogs to deter fleas.