[Jem Smith]

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If you live somewhere with venomous snakes it's a good idea to know what to do if you or someone you know happens to be bitten by one.


What NOT to Do

Don't try to 'suck the poison out'
In the movies you often see people try to help someone who was bitten by a snake by cutting the wound and then trying to "suck the poison out". This is a very bad idea, and it's unfortunate that people are still spreading it in this day and age when they should know better. Firstly, though it's a bit pedantic, it is venom, not poison. Secondly, cutting the skin can let venom into your bloodstream, and can cause infection, as well as unnecessary pain. Trying to suck out the venom could also make the person trying to help sick, as they may get venom in their mouth, although most likely they will just get a mouthful of blood. Venom moves through the body's lymphatic system, not the blood.

Do not use a shock prod
There is a strange myth that zapping the would with a shock prod will help because it will "break up the venom". This method too will just cause unnecessary pain. Laboratory tests have found it to be ineffective in treating snake bite.

Do not wash the bite
If there is venom left on the skin or clothing it can be used to identify the snake.

Do not try to catch the snake
Unless you are a professional snake catcher you are just putting yourself at unnecessary risk of being bitten. Snakes more commonly bite when people are trying to kill or catch them. The hospital does not need to see the snake so you don't need to bring it with you. If you do manage to take a picture of it that may be helpful but is not necessary.


What to do:
To correctly and safely treat a snake bite you should:
1. Get away from the snake (or get the person who has been bitten away from the snake.
2. Remain calm/get them to stay calm
3. Follow basic first aid steps (link below)
4. Call an ambulance
5. Use a bandage to immobilise the body part which has been bitten using a pressure bandage and splint (further detail in the link below)
The venom travels through the body through the lymphatic system, so the more the bitten person moves around, the further the venom can move through their body towards the heart. It is important to keep as still as possible.

An ambulance can take you to a hospital where the victim can be given antivenem.
Many snake bites are dry bites, where the snake does not actually inject any venom, but you should treat all snake bites the same way just in case. Try not to panic. Very few people actually die from snake bite, and you have a good chance of survival if you follow these steps and get medical help quickly.

Prevention
If you see a snake in the wild, wherever possible stay away from it. If there is a snake in your home, in urban areas you can call a professional snake catcher to remove it safely. Avoid walking through long grass, and if you do have to, wear sturdy boots and thick clothing such as jeans. Use a torch (flashlight) when walking outdoors at night.

Stay safe, and be sensible!


Further reading:
Electric shocks do not work- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11434486/
Snake bite first aid - https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/snake-bites
Steps for basic first aid- https://stjohn.org.au/assets/uploads/fact%20sheets/english/Fact%20sheets_DRSABCD.pdf

[Fergal]

Thanks for sharing those good tips with us Jem Smith. We don't have wild snakes in Ireland, but in the past, I have travelled in countries where snakes can be dangerous. I wasn't aware that moving about, helps spread the venom through the body, that's a good thing to know and remember.

[Jem Smith]

Thanks for sharing those good tips with us Jem Smith. We don't have wild snakes in Ireland,

Because of Saint Patrick

There are a lot of snakes in Australia, so children get taught about how to avoid them growing up. They're basically always around, so you just try to stay out of long grass and dress sensibly. It's also important to not let grass or weeds grow long too close to your house, or animal enclosures (like chicken coops).

We don't often see venomous snakes in our yard here where I live, but we get pythons, which are pretty harmless unless you're a small animal like a possum, chicken, rodent or sometimes a cat. They do help to keep the rats down. Some people keep them as pets.

Most of the venomous snakes we have here are not aggressive, so as long as you stay clear of them they leave you alone. Brown snakes are an exception. All native snakes are protected species here, so you're not technically allowed to kill them, but you'd never get into trouble for it if it's a brown snake in your yard.

[Mika]

In my home town, it is a common practice to cut the bite wound and then suck blood. These people swish their mouth with alcohol and they venom does not affect them

[Jem Smith]

In my home town, it is a common practice to cut the bite wound and then suck blood. These people swish their mouth with alcohol and they venom does not affect them

That does not actually help the victim survive the bite. It's an old wives' tale.

[Fergal]

Brown snakes are an exception

I just read about them on Wikipedia. They really do sound frightening. It surprises me that some people keep them as pets, don't think I would want anything that dangerous anywhere near me.

[sweerie_banana]

It's crucial to stay as calm as possible. Panicking can make things worse. First, try to identify the snake if you can do so safely, but don't waste time if you can't.

[Jem Smith]

Brown snakes are an exception

I just read about them on Wikipedia. They really do sound frightening. It surprises me that some people keep them as pets, don't think I would want anything that dangerous anywhere near me.

Oh sorry, didn't mean to mislead you. I don't think anybody keeps brown snakes as pets. They keep pythons (non venomous, not dangerous to humans) as pets. They're less dangerous than a large dog. Keeping venomous snakes is illegal unless you have a special license- you basically have to be a zoo keeper.

-- 30 Apr 2024, 08:13 --

It's crucial to stay as calm as possible. Panicking can make things worse. First, try to identify the snake if you can do so safely, but don't waste time if you can't.

Yes, keeping calm is very important.

[Fergal]

Oh sorry, didn't mean to mislead you. I don't think anybody keeps brown snakes as pets.

Thanks Jem, you didn't actually mislead me, I got that understanding from this paragraph in the Wikipedia article:

Eastern brown snakes are readily available in Australia via breeding in captivity. They are regarded as challenging to keep, and due to the snakes' speed and toxicity, suitable for only experienced snake keepers.

Seems like I misunderstood it a little, "breeding in captivity" isn't quite the same as keeping them as pets.

[Mika]

In my home town, it is a common practice to cut the bite wound and then suck blood. These people swish their mouth with alcohol and they venom does not affect them

That does not actually help the victim survive the bite. It's an old wives' tale.

Well, I cannot show you proof with images and videos but I have seen people survive even the cobra bite.

[Jem Smith]

In my home town, it is a common practice to cut the bite wound and then suck blood. These people swish their mouth with alcohol and they venom does not affect them

That does not actually help the victim survive the bite. It's an old wives' tale.

Well, I cannot show you proof with images and videos but I have seen people survive even the cobra bite.

I don't doubt that people have survived, I just don't think it's because of that practice. It's been proven that it doesn't actually help get the venom out. It might be that they had a dry bite (where no venom was actually injected), which happens in about 50% of cases.

https://serb.com/insights/five-common-snakebite-myths-debunked/

-- 01 May 2024, 09:05 --

oops, can't edit, but not the best source with that last link, although it does at least link to a study. Here is a better one, from the BBC. It has a lot of interesting details and pictures.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-34214029

[Netherrealmer]

sucking the bite could make the sucker die of poison too.

[Jem Smith]

sucking the bite could make the sucker die of poison too.

Possibly. The risk of that is pretty small, but given that it doesn't really help the victim it's not worth it.

[Presh]

Snake bites has killed a few people that I know. I just wish they had access to this kind of very valuable information.

[Jem Smith]

Snake bites has killed a few people that I know. I just wish they had access to this kind of very valuable information.

I'm sorry to hear that. Where are you located?

Very few people die of snake bites in Australia, despite there being many dangerous snakes here. That's probably partly because of the relatively small human population, but also good first aid training helps.

[kat82]

This is my worst nightmare. Not only in dreams but in reality. I fear that and thanks for the suggestions.

[Fergal]

Thanks Jem Smith for posting a popular article, sending ForumCoin now

[Jem Smith]

Thanks Jem Smith for posting a popular article, sending ForumCoin now

Thanks, Fergal.

[Carson20t]

Thanks for the prevention tips that you have shared for someone who has been bitten by a snake. I think that prevention is important so it is good that you are active and aware of the environment you are in so that you just avoid any possible snake bite. Hopefully also is to avoid an encounter with poisonous and dangerous snakes.

[Jem Smith]

Thanks for the prevention tips that you have shared for someone who has been bitten by a snake. I think that prevention is important so it is good that you are active and aware of the environment you are in so that you just avoid any possible snake bite. Hopefully also is to avoid an encounter with poisonous and dangerous snakes.

Yes, avoiding them is best, if you can do it.