Snake Bite Treatment: Symptoms and Reactions of Poisonous Snake Bite

Posted on July 1, 2010 by PUP in Health FAQ 3

Snake

Snake

Question: What is the first chemical reaction and anatomical reaction after the snake bites? Any home remedy?

Answer: Snake bite is the injury resulting due to bite of a snake. Most of the time the injury looks like punctured wounds caused by the fangs of the animal. Snakes can be venomous and non-venomous. They are present every where except in Antarctica.

Snake bites for two reasons the first is for hunting the prey and second is for self defense.

The chemical and anatomical reaction depends on many factors, like the species of snake, venomous and non venomous snake, the area of the body bitten and the venom injected through the fangs.

Symptoms of Snake Bite

  • Most common symptom after the snake bite in a person is fear, anxiety, and panic. This results in vomiting, palpitation, giddiness, cold and skin, perspiration etc, this may be due to the fear and hype created by unwarranted thoughts of disaster even though the bite may be caused by non poisonous snake.
  • Non poisonous snake can also harm the individual, not due to poison but because of the injury inflicted by the animal.
    The snakes saliva and fang may harbor bacteria’s  like clostridium tetanus, and other harmful bacterias which may be risky if not treated.
  • Redness at the site of the bite
  • Pain and swelling within few minutes at the site of the bite in cases of poisonous snakes like cobra and viper.
  • Pitvipers can cause neurological signs of weakness, lethargy, nausea and vomiting. Low blood pressure, fast pulse rate, and difficult respiration and if not treated in time death may precede.
  • Necrosis of the tissue and muscles at the site of the bite is common in cases of poisonous snakes.
  • Profuse bleeding can occur due to viper bite. Bleeding can be from the nose and intestine and other internal organs which may be devastating if care is not taken on emergency basis.
  • Spitting cobras can spit the venom on the eyes causing blindness and paralysis of eye muscles.

Treatment for Snake Bite

Prompt and emergency medical treatment with antivenom can save a life if the bite is caused by a poisonous snake.

It is not possible to know whether the bite is from the poisonous or non poisonous snake by a layman and therefore it is better to take action as in case of a bite from poisonous snake.

Conservative methods can be started till medical help arrives.

  • Tell the patient to be calm and immobile as movement increases the blood flow which is dangerous.
  • Keep the bitten limb below the heart level
  • Do not give the patient any thing to drink or eat
  • Bandage with a cloth or elastic bandage above 4 inches of the bitten site. The bandage should be tied in such a manner that it should not stop the blood circulation completely.

Shift the patient to the hospital as soon as possible after the primary first aid

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