Swelling, redness around the wound, and nausea are just a few of the symptoms of getting bit by a freakin’ snake. There are two types of venom that affect humans in different, deadly ways.
The first is called hemotoxic venom, which is common among vipers. This type of toxin is incredibly painful and destroys human tissue quickly. The second type is called neurotoxic venom, which is found in both cobras and coral snakes. This agent paralyzes muscles and slows down breathing rates.
There are a lot of dumb urban myths out there about how to treat a snake bite, like sucking out the poison or applying a tourniquet to the affected limb. If you want to make a full recovery, take some tips from the experts.
Don’t freak out
We know getting bit by a snake can be quite traumatizing, but the challenge is to not allow your heart rate to increase. The faster your heart beats, the quicker the potentially dangerous venom can spread throughout your body. So keep as calm as possible.
This also means you don’t want to rush to get as the hyperactivity will only elevate your heart rate.
Wash the area with soap and water
Washing the area right afterward will help kill off the majority of the bacteria and other organisms that were in the snake’s mouth before the bite occurred. Let’s face it, snakes don’t go to the dentist too often.
However, don’t submerge the wound in water or apply ice. Hand washing will cleanse the wound enough, and ice won’t tissue swelling caused by the venom.
The mighty King Cobra snake.
(Photo by Dr. Anand Titus and Geeta N Pereira)
Take a photo of the snake
Don’t ever try catching the snake for identification purposes. Since we live in the modern world where technology is basically everywhere, pull out your camera phone and snap a photo. This will help the medical professionals understand what type of anti-venom you’ll need if that situation takes a negative turn.
Many snakes run-ins are harmless as most species aren’t venomous, but have anticoagulant properties within the snake’s saliva which can cause further bleeding.
Seek medical attention
Although seeking medical quickly is vital, we don’t run to find the help you need that will just increase your heart rate. However, some bite victims have wanted days before getting the care they needed and suffer nasty tissue damage as a result.
Check out Tech Insider‘s video below to find out what to do after suffering a snake bite.
