In this video version of the Survival Medicine podcast, Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP discuss the importance of the medic in survival settings to know about chronic illnesses, such as thyroid dysfunction.

In austere scenarios, the family medic won’t have lab tests and fancy diagnostic imaging like MRIs and CT scans to help with medical issues if some disaster throws them off the grid. They will have to go by physical signs and symptoms, just like they did in the 19^th century, which is just about where we’ll be thrown back to medically if some long-term event really happens.

The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped organ located in the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple. It’s found at the level of the windpipe, also known as the trachea. When you apply a thumb and forefinger lightly to the area (or use two hands from behind the patient) and ask the patient to swallow, you’ll notice it move.These days, you’ll get a bunch of studies, blood tests, a sonogram, stuff like that to look for problems. Some thyroids can be identified by physical signs and symptoms, and the family medic should know how to identify and, hopefully, treat some of these conditions. In this video, we discuss it in detail…

To watch, click below:

Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad,

Joe and Amy Alton MD

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