What symptoms point to a snake bite?

May 10, 2023 | 10:07:58

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It seems like a lot of people get bitten by snakes in the summer. More snake bite casualties have been reported in the Terai-Madhesh region than in hilly areas.

There are two types of snakes: venomous and non-venomous. The non-venomous snake bite does not affect the body. In Nepal, snakes of the Goman, Karat, and viper kinds have bitten a lot of people. There are numerous deaths from snake bites as well. This snake bites at night, and if it is not treated, it will die.Mountains are known for having a lot of vipers. Instead of killing people, it harmed a lot of people.

What signs indicate a snake bite?

The brain and nerves are affected by Goman and Karat snake bites because they harm the neurotoxivenum. Therefore, there is a very high chance that someone will die. It is difficult for someone who has been bitten by a snake to open their eyes; they are closed, and it is difficult to swallow saliva or eat. Viper snakes contain a toxin called hemotoxin that taints human blood. The risk of amputation is high if the swelling at the bite site is not treated swiftly. What kind of medicine is being administered, and how much poison is still in the snake? It depends on it.

What should I do if I get bitten by a snake? You must educate yourself further on that. The following needs to be taken into account:

Which part of the snake bites more?

Snakes are often seen biting the lower part of the body. A snake can bite anywhere on hands, feet, waist, back, chest, neck, head.

If bitten on the head and neck, the poison will take effect quickly, so the risk of death is also high.

First aid

Even now, in the villages, there is a custom of home treatment for snake bites. When bitten by a snake, home remedies such as tying the bitten area with a cloth or some other object, sucking the venom out of the snake bite, cutting with a sharp object and throwing out blood mixed with poison. Which is very wrong, it does more harm than good.

There is no special first aid for snake bite. There is a bandage called PIB (Pressure Emulsification Bandaging) applied to the bite area, which helps to cover the wound and keep it from moving. After that, they should be taken to the nearest hospital or health center immediately.

The period of one hour after a snake bite is considered as golden time. But if the person bitten by a snake cannot be taken to the hospital within that time, it may be difficult to save.

After being bitten by a snake, people are taken to a health institution, but the general public may not know whether it will be treated there or not. In this case, the condition of the patient may be more serious.

Where is the treatment?

All hospitals and health centers in Nepal do not treat snakebite. It is treated in the main hospital and some private hospitals, while the army has also set up snakebite treatment centers in its barracks.

After a snake bite, antisnake venom is administered, which is available free of cost in government hospitals.

How to avoid snake bites?

To avoid snake bites, you should wear clothes with sleeves when you walk outside, you should light a flashlight because the toilet is usually outside the house in the village, and you should avoid it if there are rats around the house. Similarly, you can avoid snake bites by sleeping on a cot that is not on the ground, sleeping with a swing on the cot, keeping the yard clean, wearing boots or gloves while cleaning the house or mowing the grass.