Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Treat a poisonous snake bite
• Method 2 of 3: Treat a non-poisonous snake bite
• Method 3 of 3: Understanding snakes and their bites
• Warnings

It is every hiker's nightmare: you walk along a sunny path, you gradually feel yourself becoming one with nature and suddenly a snake strikes and jumps at you from nowhere. In this situation you need to know immediately how to treat the bite correctly. If done correctly, even the most poisonous snake bite can be overcome. So get out and about in the great outdoors and enjoy walks, camping, or just looking at some beautiful scenic sights, but be aware of the dangers of snakes and learn more about what to do if you or someone else is bitten is becoming.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Treat a poisonous snake bite

1. Call emergency services or shout for help. If you are alone but can move around safely, get help. Most snake bites are not dangerous, but when you are bitten by a poisonous snake, getting medical care as soon as possible is imperative. Emergency services know the types of snakes that live in the area and are best equipped for the most appropriate treatment. Call paramedics or get to an emergency room right away.
   • It is not immediately clear whether a snake's bite is poisonous or not just by looking at the bite. It's best to seek medical attention right away, regardless of what the bite looks like.
   • Stay as calm as possible. Panic increases your heart rate and if the snake bites well poisonous, the increased heart rate will spread the poison throughout your body more quickly. Try to stay as calm and still as possible.
   • If you can (and you are in the US), call the National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) for advice while you wait for help.
2. Take note of the snake's appearance. Emergency services and emergency doctors need the snake's description to determine if the snake is poisonous. If possible, try to take a picture of the snake, or at least ask another walker to remember the snake's appearance to check what you saw.
   • Don't try to catch the snake - snakes are very fast and unless you are an experienced snake catcher the snake has the advantage.
   • If you are still in danger, don't walk up to the snake or spend too much time trying to get a better impression. This is not safe. Just take a quick look at the snake and then get out of the way.
3. Get away from the snake. You should get out of reach of the snake immediately so you don't get bitten a second time. Move to a safe place at a reasonable distance from where you were bitten. However, don't try to run or move far. Otherwise, your heart will pump faster due to all that movement, causing the poison to spread through your body more quickly.
   • Move to a place where the snake will not show up quickly. Find a flat boulder slightly above the path, clearing, or other area without many hiding places for snakes.
   • Once you have reached a safer area, try to stay as still as possible.
4. Stop moving and support the area of ​​the bite. Do not use a tourniquet, but do limit movement in the site of the bite. In addition, keep the spot at or below the level of your heart. This will help ensure that, if it was a poisonous bite, it will slow down the spread of the poison.
   • Keeping the bite below the level of your heart will slow the flow of the contaminated blood to the heart (which would otherwise pump the poison through your body).
   • If you can, make a splint to make the area around the bite so motionless. Use sticks or boards and place them on both sides of the bite area. Next, tie a piece of cloth to hold the bottom, center, and top of the planks in place.
5. Remove clothing, jewelry, or items that are obstructing. Venomous snake bites can cause rapid and severe swelling. Even a loose piece of clothing can become tight if the area around the bite swells.
6. Clean the wound as best you can, but do not rinse it with water. Take a clean cloth dipped in water and clean the wound gently, but as completely as possible. When the wound is clean, cover it with a clean cloth.
7. Wait for or seek medical help yourself. The best thing to do is to seek medical help as soon as possible. The good news is that once you've cleaned the wound and removed any jewelry, the bite is less likely to come from a poisonous snake if there is little or no swelling. However, even if this is the case, there is still the risk of infection or a serious reaction, including allergic reactions, so you still need medical attention as soon as possible.
8. Avoid steps that can make your situation worse. There are a lot of myths about dealing with a snake bite, and some of these myths can actually make your situation worse.
   • Do not try to cut or suck out the poison. Cutting the wound can cause more problems and increase the risk of infection. Someone who tries to suck the poison out of the wound can swallow it and get poisoned himself.
   • Do not use a tourniquet or put ice on the wound. Experts believe that a tourniquet can potentially restrict blood flow too much, and ice can increase wound damage.
   • Don't drink alcohol or caffeine - this can increase your heart rate and spread it further. Instead, keep drinking enough water.
9. Understand the medical care you need. At the emergency room (ER), you will be treated for the swelling, pain, and symptoms of a poisonous snake bite. These symptoms are nausea, dizziness, numbness and possibly difficulty breathing and swallowing. The ER will also look for a drop in your blood pressure, signs of blood or nervous system damage, allergic reactions, and swelling.
   • The treatment depends on the complaints you develop. If you do not develop further symptoms, you may still need to remain under observation for a 24-hour period, as in some cases it takes so long for symptoms to develop.
   • If the snake that bit you is poisonous, you can be treated with antivenin (antidote or antivenene). This is a combination of antibodies designed to combat snake toxins and has been shown to be safe and effective for both adults and children. Depending on the symptoms, you may receive more than one dose.
   • You will also likely be prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic to keep the wound from becoming infected. You can also get a tetanus shot.
   • Very severe snake bites may require surgery.
10. Follow the recommendations for further care of the bite. By the time you are released from the hospital, your main concern is to keep the snakebite area clean and covered, and to follow medical instructions for wound care. These instructions should tell you how often to change the dressing, how to clean the healing wound (usually with warm water and soap), and how to identify a possible infection.
    • Signs of possible infection include swelling, tenderness, redness, exudate and warm feeling in the infected area, or new fever. If you have any of these symptoms at the site of the snake bite, call your doctor as soon as possible.
11. Stay calm and sit it out if you can't get medical care. If you are in the wilderness with no hope of medical help coming soon, the best thing you can do is make yourself as comfortable as possible and wait for the poison to leave your system. In most cases, snakes don't inject enough venom for the bite to be fatal. Treat the individual symptoms that may arise, and most importantly, stay calm and exercise as little as possible. Fear of snakes and the fear of being bitten is often what leads to fatalities, as a pounding heart spreads the venom more quickly.
    • If you are taking a walk in the countryside and you see other people, ask if they can call or get help, or if they have a snake bite kit or pump device with them.

Method 2 of 3: Treat a non-poisonous snake bite

1. Stop the bleeding. Non-venomous snake bites are unlikely to be life-threatening, but they still require prompt treatment to prevent infections. Treat a non-poisonous snake bite like a stab wound; the first step is to apply firm pressure to the wound with a sterile gauze or bandage so that you don't lose too much blood.
   • Only treat the bite as a non-poisonous bite when you are absolutely sure that the snake was not poisonous. When in doubt, it is important to get medical help right away.
2. Clean the wound carefully. Wash the wound with clean water and soap for a few minutes. Rinse the wound thoroughly with more water, then wash it again. Pat the wound dry with sterile gauze. Use an alcohol-soaked cloth if you have it handy.
3. Treat the wound with an antibiotic ointment and a band-aid. Apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment to the clean wound. Then you bandage the wound. This will protect the area and help prevent infections.
4. Get medical help. A doctor will check that the bite has been properly cleaned and cared for. You may want to ask if further medical care is needed, including a tetanus shot, if any.
5. Continue to care for the wound while it heals. Even non-poisonous snake bites can lead to infection. Look for signs of infection, such as redness, streaks, swelling, fluid from the wound or fever. If you get any of these symptoms, go back to your doctor to have it checked.
6. Drink plenty of fluids while you heal. It is important to get enough fluids while your body heals from the snake bite. In general, you should drink about two liters of water per day.

Method 3 of 3: Understanding snakes and their bites

1. Learn about poisonous snakes. Most snakes are not poisonous, but all snakes can bite. The most common venomous snakes are the cobra, copperhead, coral snake, viper (water moccasin) and rattlesnake. While most venomous snakes have a triangular head, the only real way to tell if a snake is venomous is to be able to identify or locate the venom glands on a dead snake.
2. Determine if you are in a region where poisonous snakes are found. Cobras can be found in Asia and Africa. Copperheads can be found in the southern and eastern parts of the US, and parts of Australia and Asia. Certain types of coral snakes can be found in the southern US, parts of India and Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan. Vipers, or water moccasins, can be found in the southeastern US, and rattlesnakes are found in the southern parts of Canada all the way to Argentina.
   • Certain areas of the world, such as Australia, have a higher concentration of highly venomous snakes than others. Remember that poisonous snakes live in cities as well as in the wilderness, so always be careful.
3. Learn about the snake bite. When a non-venomous snake bites, the main concern is infection and swelling of the tissues. In the bite of a poisonous snake, in addition to tissue damage and infection, there is concern about the effects of the poison. Most snakes will not bite unless disturbed or handled by humans.
   • Snakes' fangs can be fixed or collapsible until the snake bites. Venomous snakes can have both types of fangs, although fixed-toothed snakes, such as the coral snake, produce venom that affects the nervous system, while the venom from snakes with folded fangs, such as rattlesnakes, often affects blood cells.
   • All types of snakes produce substances that can lead to tissue destruction - if you are bitten by a snake, the most critical problem is mitigating this damage.
4. Understand snake behavior. Snakes are "cold-blooded," which means that they get their body heat from their surroundings and the sun. As a result, snakes and snake bites are much less common in cooler climates or colder seasons, as the snakes then hibernate.
   • Snakes and snake bites are more common the closer you get to the equator, because the snakes in these areas don't hibernate and are more active during the warmer days.
5. Avoid contact with hoses. The best way to treat a snake bite is to prevent it. According to wilderness experts, these are the best ways to prevent snakes and their bites:
   • Do not sleep or rest next to areas where snakes may have been hiding. This includes scrub, tall grass, large rocks and trees.
   • Don't put your hands into the crevices of a rock, into hollow logs, dense undergrowth, or any place where a snake might lie and wait for the next meal.
   • Look down if you are walking through bushes or tall grass.
   • Do not try to pick up a snake, dead or alive. Snakes have a reflex that allows them to bite a minute or more after they are dead ... strange but true!
   • ALWAYS wear high hiking boots that cover your ankles and tuck your pants into your boots.
   • Make noise. Most snakes don't want to meet you any more than you want them! To ensure that you don't startle a snake, make sure it can hear you coming.
6. Buy a snake bite kit. If you are a frequent hiker or wilderness explorer, consider investing in a snake bite kit with a suction device. Do not use razor or suction bulb kits.

Warnings

• If you see or hear a poisonous snake, stop moving. Snakes don't see well and they use movement to figure out where the threat is coming from. Walk away from the area slowly and alert others to the snake's presence when you are at a safe distance.
• Pay attention to where you put your feet, in places populated by both humans and rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes shake their tails to dislodge potential danger so they don't have to strike. But the excessive hunting of rattlesnakes by humans has led to a change in their behavior in human-populated areas. Rattlesnakes in areas of high population density are less likely to rattle, and instead rely more on their natural camouflage, making it more likely you will step on one.
• Some recommend applying a tight, but not uncomfortable elastic bandage 5-7 cm above the site of the bite. You can use a stretch bandage for this, or make one out of a stretchy shirt or other garment. However, some experts disagree with the use of such an elastic bandage. This can cause a rapid release of the poison when the dressing or other material is removed. In addition, people who are not trained in first aid will often make the mistake of over-tightening the pressure bandage, such as with a tourniquet, with the risk of cutting off the blood supply and worsening the condition.
• Do not try to cut open the wound and suck out the poison with your mouth or a snake bite kit. This has not been shown to remove enough toxins and could lead to more damage to the skin in the area.