What to do when bitten by a snake first. Bites of poisonous snakes. What time of day are snakes active?
You can meet a dangerous snake on vacation or in ordinary everyday life. Even in the vicinity of an ordinary city, cobras or other snakes that have escaped from the terrarium can roam. What to do if bitten by a snake?
So, the first thing everyone should know and remember is that the snake never attacks itself if the object of attack is not its prey. Even such serious and large snakes as cobra, rattlesnake, gyurza, warn their attack and crawl away themselves, if you go the other way, in short, you will simply disperse. But a meeting with a cobra or a rattlesnake does not threaten you, these snakes are common where an Orthodox person simply has nothing to do, and ordinary vipers live on our territory, well, and also a muzzle, which very much resemble vipers in terms of the consequences of a bite, and even a little in appearance, mostly dark sandy in color. You most likely will not meet other snakes here, oh, I forgot to warn you, in the vicinity of Moscow, about ten cobras roam the forest, having escaped from one idiot from the terrarium. Vipers are quite cowardly in themselves, and always, seeing or smelling a person, they try to leave and hide.
Of course, you can write a whole book about how and what to do if you are bitten by a snake, advertise a bunch of drugs, conclude an agreement with a publishing house to print such nonsense, in fact, everything is very simple, and you don’t have to break your brain and shake with fear, by the way, fear after a bite, or rather adrenaline, which is naturally produced in the body, causes no small harm to the body, because they sharply increase blood pressure and quickly spread the poison throughout the body with blood, and this is bad.
On the contrary, in the event of a bite, you need to calm down as much as possible, and understand NOTHING WRONG HAPPENED, a crowd of gopniks, in the gateway, can knock harder on the head. There are people who are much worse if they are bitten by an ordinary bee, although the bee does not have such a strong poison, but some people have a terrible allergic reaction to a bee sting, up to resuscitation. If you have ever been bitten by bees, then for comparison, I would equate the bite of a viper with a bite, I don’t know, 10-15 bees at the same time in different parts of the body (this is how it breaks about everything and about that everything hurts). The effect of the poison and the condition of a person after a viper bite is very similar to the condition with influenza in the first 2-3 days, high fever, well, it will shake a little, my head hurts, severe allergies, local redness are possible, but all this will pass in a few days. The bite of a large viper more than 1 meter long is quite dangerous, and in the spring, when they are angry and hungry and inject a large dose of poison due to spring exacerbation, but such large vipers are sooooo few, in my life I caught 300 - 400 pieces, I saw several thousand, but I have never seen an individual of 1.5 meters, although last year our tamed wolf grabbed, in the spring, just like that, there were 3 cm between the holes from the teeth on the muzzle, and this is a viper about 1.5 meters. Died after 10 days, poor fellow, could not pump out.
Usually vipers bite and inject only a small part of the poison to scare, sometimes even bite in the "idle". Deaths after a viper bite are generally rare, death can occur if a person is bitten in the face or an artery in the neck, and then in question (a strong body can cope), death, in rare cases, occurs if a weak heart (a person has a heart attack) , problems with blood, well, in general, when a person is weak and sick on his own, the poison simply finishes him off. Small children also suffer with a fatal outcome. Sometimes irreversible consequences can occur with the limbs, such as necrosis of tissue and muscles. In most deaths, people themselves are actually to blame, because they CURED themselves.
So, all you need to do if you are bitten by an ordinary swamp gray, blue or black, in general, our native - an ordinary viper is:
It is necessary to slow down the spread of the poison as much as possible, but not block it (cool the bite site and higher in the blood flow, minimal movement, put the person horizontally if the bite is on a limb, and this usually happens in the arm or leg, and not in the neck or head (because that few people reach for the berries directly with their mouths), then put on a splint so as not to move the limb, and as, I already said, NO PANIC AND FEAR, DO NOT RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE;
As quickly as possible, you can even yourself, if you manage to reach out, remove part of the poison (treatment with an antiseptic and sucking out of the wound - by mouth, you can use the suction on the principle of cans on the back, if there is a suitable item at hand, if not - do not look - suck and spit .The poison that got into the mouth is harmless);
Dilute the poison in the blood - reduce the concentration of the poison (drink and write a lot, drink and write again);
If there is Prednisolone, then slightly weaken, block the action of the poison - inject 30-60 mg, preferably intravenously, or intramuscularly, in extreme cases, tablets (1 1 ml ampoule contains 30 mg, 1 tab. contains 5 mg).
If an allergy appears, then slightly remove the allergic reaction with Diphenhydramine - simultaneously with Prednisolone, inject 20-30 mg, preferably intravenously, or intramuscularly, or tablets (1 1 ml ampoule contains 10 mg, 1 tab. contains 30/50 mg). If there is no Diphenhydramine, Suprastin, Tavegil or Aleron can be used.
It is impossible to block the bite site with a constriction - a tourniquet, in this case tissue necrosis is possible, since the concentration of poison will be large at the site of localization, and the poison should slowly but dissolve in the blood and be excreted from the body. You can’t cauterize the bite site, it’s useless, but by cauterizing you will slough off the wound and the poison will not suck out. Iodine is used only as a surface antiseptic, it is also useless to cauterize them. In essence, everything, you can “calmly” lie down and relax, after a couple of days you will get up and go, of course, then you will shake and shake a little more, but everything will be fine. You may think you've had the flu.
There are, of course, extreme ways against a viper bite:
Once we were in the forest with a small team and wandered far enough (I won’t explain the reasons, I had to). We had to return extremely urgently, and here one of us, at the moment of the return move, reached out to the side to pick a large bunch of blueberries on the go and was bitten by a viper, then we all hear the following phrase:
- "Someone get the bandage, the dressing needs to be done"
We all stopped. What they say dressing, were all intact? And he:
- “It will be” and puts his finger on the stump and chop it with a hatchet, cut off about 3 cm in short and says: “Well, here’s the dressing”
We were all so a little crazy, and he:
- “Well, why are you going to drag me on yourself for a couple of days, and you can go further like that”
……………..
This is how the Antigyrza vaccine is made in the field, the whole operation - from bite to implementation, took only 20 seconds, the poison, of course, did not have time to seep anywhere. But I do not recommend doing this, self-mutilation is condemned by the Lord, although there may be situations when doing this will be the only way to salvation.
It's important to know! There are very few snakes in pine forests, there is, in principle, little sun and no water. Snakes are very fond of swamps, the edges of forests and swamps, and especially the southern slopes (high banks - slopes) to rivers, since such slopes are maximally turned towards the sun and they are very warm and there is water.
snakes
The body is elongated without limbs, eyelids are transparent, external ears are absent, but snakes feel vibration from the ground. Snakes do not have a bladder. Snakes have mastered almost all the living spaces of the Earth, except for air. There are snakes on all continents except Antarctica. They are distributed from the Arctic Circle in the North to the southern tip of the American continent. Snakes are especially numerous in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.
They prefer to live in areas with a hot climate. They live in various ecological conditions - forests, steppes, deserts, in the foothills and mountains.
Snakes mainly lead a terrestrial existence, but some species live underground, in water, in trees. When adverse conditions occur, for example, as a result of a cold snap, snakes hibernate.
Snakes usually swallow their prey whole. The swallowing mechanism consists in the alternating movement of the right and left halves of the lower jaw (the snake, as it were, pulls itself onto the prey).
Snakes are distinguished by a huge number of vertebrae (from 200 to 450). Body length from 10 cm to 13.5 m. There is no chest, when food is swallowed, the ribs move apart. As a rule, only the right lung is developed, the left one is either absent or rudimentary.
In snakes, the poisonous tooth rotates 90 °, it can develop up to 4.5 cm.
Snakes differ from legless lizards in the movable fastening of the left and right parts of the jaws (which makes it possible to swallow prey whole), the absence of movable eyelids and eardrum, and the absence of a shoulder girdle.
The smallest snake in the world
Scientists have found the smallest snake in the world: its length does not exceed 10 centimeters. A miniature reptile lives on one of the Caribbean islands.
In fact, Dr. Blair Hedges of the University of Pennsylvania discovered two new subspecies of snakes: Leptotyphlops carlae in Barbados (it's the smallest) and Leptotyphlops breuili in St. Lucia.
Although for the American (whose track record includes 3,100 previously unknown species) this is not the first discovery, he considers the new snake really important: “I was simply amazed when I picked up a stone in the rainforest and saw this beautiful creature.” Other representatives of this species were soon found under the surrounding stones, but among them, for some reason, there were only two females.
The biggest snake in the world
Residents of an Indonesian village claim to have caught a python 15 meters long and weighing almost 446 kilograms. If their words are confirmed, then this python will become the largest snake ever kept in captivity.
In the village of Kurugsevu on the island of Java, according to local media reports, hundreds of people come to admire the curiosity. According to the online newspaper of the Soyuz portal, the Guinness Book of Records considers the anaconda a little less than 10 meters long to be the largest snake caught. And the Burmese python living in Illinois is called the heaviest representative of the snake tribe - it weighs 182 kilograms. The Indonesian newspaper Respublika reports that a python caught last year but only recently put on public display eats three to four dogs a month. Reticulated pythons are the longest snakes in the world. They are able to eat sheep, cases of their successful attacks on people are known. This species is found in the swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia.
Quickly and calmly: first you need to make sure that the snake has really bitten, and which snake. A venomous snake bite looks like two (or one) puncture points on the skin.
Snake venom is a biologically active compound with a very broad spectrum of activity. Hyaluronidase, an enzyme contained in the venom of any snake, acts destructively. Its goal is the destruction of mucopolysaccharides - a kind of cement that holds living cells together. Violation of intercellular bonds makes the tissue permeable and opens the way for other components of the poison. The poison is able to penetrate into cells through their shells - membranes, affecting the most important systems of the body. In addition, snake venom increases the permeability of tissues, which contributes to its rapid spread from the bitten place. Thus, the imposition of constrictions above the bite, incisions, cauterization and other measures that have taken root among the population are useless. Despite the imposition of tight constrictions that contribute to the formation of large areas of dead tissue, it is not possible to prevent the spread of poison - severe poisoning develops.
Symptoms of a venomous snake bite
At the first moment, severe pain is felt at the site of the bite. It can be difficult to notice a snake that quickly eludes. Two small red dots testify to the bite (sometimes one if the snake has a broken tooth, or the bite was made with a side impact). Soon, a purple or cyanotic hemorrhage develops, turning into more or less pronounced swelling. Later, headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision (double vision) may appear. If you are sure that it was a poisonous snake, you need to provide first aid for a snake bite.
The bitten person must be laid down and ensured that he lies motionless, any movement will accelerate the spread of the poison in the body and, accordingly, worsen the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Then you need to see if there are traces of poison. It is not uncommon for a snake's attack to be unsuccessful and a lot of poison (or even all the poison) remains either on the bitten clothes or on the skin. Therefore, you should try to avoid a reflex attempt to pinch the bitten place with your hand. Snake venom is only dangerous when it enters the bloodstream. By pinching the bitten place, you can push poison from clothing or skin into the wound. If there is poison on the skin, it must be removed immediately so that it does not enter the wound. what
First of all, try to suck the poison out of the wound as soon as possible, constantly spitting out the sucked liquid, and also rinse the mouth (15 minutes). Sucking out the venom from a snakebite is one of the main emergency measures. This is not dangerous for the person who sucks the poison (except if he has open sores in his mouth and the poison can enter the bloodstream). If you are not sure about the integrity of the oral cavity, you can come up with a special device for sucking blood - put a small jar in place of the bite for 1 minute. But this method is only effective if you apply it within one or two seconds of being bitten, but the resulting shock and state of stupor or panic will take away those precious crumbs of time from you. Attempts to suck out the venom are usually pointless due to the tight closure of the edges of the wound (due to the elasticity of the tissues) and the rapid spread of the venom (snake venom increases the permeability of tissues, and this factor contributes to its rapid spread from the bitten place). And also due to the fact that the depth of the bite is great and the poison can no longer be sucked out. After all, the length of the snake's poisonous teeth sometimes reaches more than a centimeter.
The bitten limb should lie motionless, and the victim himself should be in a supine, calm position so that the blood in the body circulates as slowly as possible. The spread of the poison occurs mainly through the lymphatic vessels and increases with muscle contractions. This means that you need to immobilize the bitten limb, as with fractures (the rule of two joints, that is, fix the 2 closest joints to the bite). Ideally, you need to immobilize the victim himself.
It is useful to drink a diuretic (lingonberries, cranberries), so that part of the poison leaves the body naturally. If there is no diuretic, then just drink plenty of water. It is better to refrain from coffee and tea, as they have a stimulating effect on the heart. Alcohol makes it difficult to remove the poison from the body, so it is better not to drink alcohol at all.
Call an ambulance, or try to take the victim to the hospital yourself, where he will be given an injection of Anti-Viper serum.
If the nearest settlement is not too far away, and medical assistance is not expected, ask all the neighbors, often someone can keep vials of serum in the refrigerator "just in case."
If you have this serum from snake bites on your hands, then know that it is administered and 25-30 minutes after taking prednisolone tablets (5-10 mg 1-2 tablets), 500-1000 AU (1-2 tablets) is injected subcutaneously into the interscapular region. 2 ampoules) therapeutic anti-snake serum.
There is one point in using serums. It is administered fractionally, starting with 0.1 ml, and preferably in a hospital. A contraindication to the introduction of anti-snake serum is the development of anaphylactic shock with the introduction of 0.1-0.25 ml of serum - due to an allergy to horse protein.
As in all other cases, antidote therapy is the most effective. If a specific serum is introduced to the victim in the shortest possible time, the action of which is directed to the poison of a particular viper, he will get off with only a slight fright. Of the "viper" sera on the territory of the Russian Federation, Antigadyuka, Antigyurza and Antiefa come across. The second and third are less and less. Because with the loss of the Russian Federation of Central Asia as a region of residence of gyurza and efa, the relevance of sera against their poison for Russians is also lost.
What not to do when bitten by a snake
Never apply a tourniquet to a bitten limb. Remember that the poison is necrotizing, and tied with a tourniquet, localized in one place, it can cause necrosis of this limb, which can eventually lead to amputation of it.
Cauterizing the bite site is ineffective, because it penetrates into the tissues, and superficial cauterization is not able to destroy it. And at the site of cauterization, a scab is formed, under which suppuration begins.
It is also senseless and harmful to make incisions and notches on the bitten areas. Even if you do not take into account the speed of applying the poison, the release of 10-15 ml of blood is unlikely to lead to the removal of snake venom, not to mention the development of long-term non-healing wounds or infection at the site of the cut.
viper bite
The size of the snake. Vipers usually reach a length of 50 - 75 cm. The larger the snake, the larger its venom glands, the greater the amount of poison released. The size and weight of the victim. So, a dog and a child are more sensitive to the action of the poison than an adult, due to the faster and more complete absorption of the poison in the body of the victim with a small volume and mass.
The amount of poison released. The viper attacks only a live target, mainly mice, voles, sometimes moles and lizards. She hunts from an ambush, waiting for the approach of the victim and biting her with lightning speed. Then calmly awaits the action of the poison. Small animals die, usually not having time to move away more than a few meters. The snake swallows prey from the head, whole, thanks to the sliding jaws. It should be noted that the snake spends its venom very sparingly, trying to maintain its reserve as much as possible. Some bites may be harmless to humans and require no treatment. Such bites are called "dry". However, not being able to determine "on the spot" the amount of poison injected, it is necessary to take urgent measures after any snake bite.
The state of health of the victim. People or animals suffering from heart problems, tired dogs can go into a state of shock, often aggravated by panic and heart palpitations, which accelerate the spread of poison through the body.
Place of bite. Usually these are the hands of people and the paws of dogs. A hunter who lays his gun on the ground, makes a place for himself to rest, or raises a stone for a hearth, always runs the risk of getting a bite, especially in scree and bush thickets. Dogs, being lighter, cause less shaking of the ground when moving, than they can take a snake by surprise, approaching it too close. A dog poking at a viper may be bitten on the muzzle, nose, or tongue, which often causes rapid death due to swelling of the airways.
The reaction of the victim, her environment and the speed of assistance. So, a person who does not give in to panic and remains calm, trying to gain time by saving movements and taking all measures for his speedy transfer to the nearest hospital, will slow down the absorption of the poison and significantly reduce the complications of the bite. A dog bitten by a snake should be carried in your arms to avoid any acceleration of blood circulation, while in a car it should be kept immobile.
How to protect yourself from a snake bite?
Carefully mow the grass in front of your dacha/village house. Snakes don't like it when the grass doesn't hide them.
When traveling in dangerous areas, it is necessary to have high boots and trousers that do not fit tightly around the legs. If you have boots on your feet, then tuck your trousers into them with a slouch. Protect from snake bites and thick woolen socks. Unlike the cobra, the viper cannot perform high throws, its maximum is the shin, so high boots/trousers are a sure defense.
Take a long stick-staff in order to push the thickets. In the mountains, before examining the crevices in the rocks with your hands, you need to check with a stick if there are poisonous snakes there.
Make noise while walking in the forest, hearing your steps, the snake will crawl away, and you will not even know that it was nearby.
For the night it is better to stop on a hill with sparse and low vegetation, away from various holes, rocks and glacial boulders.
Do not leave the tents open at the bottom, before climbing into the sleeping bag, check if the viper has warmed up there.
Poisonous snakes of Russia
Common viper, steppe viper, Nikolsky viper, Caucasian viper
Fifty grams of vodka inside will help from a reptile bite, but not sucking the poison out
Summer residents and tourists, getting out into the forests near Moscow, trumpet: “There are more snakes”, “Reptiles literally swarm under our feet”, “We are afraid to let children and dogs into the forest”.
Has the population of venomous snakes really increased in the Moscow region? What can provoke their aggression? What to do if the snake still bites? In what case can a fatal outcome occur? – we asked Alexander Ognev, a naturalist, the most famous snake-catcher in the country, in the past, a poison extractor in the serpentarium, and a leading herpetologist of the Moscow Zoo, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences Dmitry Vasiliev.
Usually meetings with vipers occur at the interface between the environments: a swamp - the edge of the forest, a mowed part under the power line - the edge of the forest, garbage in the summer cottage - the garden. Photo from personal archive.
"Already - smooth, viper - velvet"
Alexander Ognev had just returned from the upper reaches of the Volga. On the border of the Moscow and Tver regions, he caught frogs for his domestic snakes. His apartment has been reminiscent of a real zoo for the fourth decade. One room is completely devoted to enclosures, terrariums, aquariums. Some snakes - about 70 pieces. He is especially proud of non-poisonous snakes, which disguise themselves as poisonous ones with their “shirts”. While I was catching frog snakes for my pets, I caught a couple of vipers for the Moscow Zoo along the way.
- Vision is already unimportant, but I feel the snakes intuitively, - says the herpetologist. - Those who hissed and gave themselves away were caught. Another 30 pieces, those who were silent, probably missed. Now it’s not the season for catching, the grass has grown, the snakes, having warmed up in the sun, run away quickly.
- What poisonous snakes are found in Moscow and the Moscow region? Who should we be afraid of? I ask a naturalist.
- The only poisonous snake that lives in the Moscow region is the common viper. It is also called moth and swamp viper, says Alexander Ognev. - Among all the snakes in the world, it has the most extensive range - the area of \u200b\u200bdistribution: from Great Britain and northern Spain to Lake Baikal. Most of the range falls on the territory of Russia. We can say that this is the most "Russian snake". The common viper can also be found in Siberia. The rivers there flow from south to north and are the carrier of heat.
- Can a viper be confused with one of the non-venomous snakes?
- In the same territory, maybe a little to the south, lives an ordinary one. It is black or dark grey. At the base of the head, it has two spots - yellow, gray, white, orange or pink. There may be snakes without spots. Sometimes they are so dark gray that the spots merge with the general background and are not visible. The snake has smoother scales, so it shines in the sun. And the viper is like velvet, on each scale it has a scallop.
Already - a swift snake, when threatened, curls up into a tight ball and hisses. If he sees that the danger has not passed, he can pretend to be dead. At the same time, it emits a terrible smell, reminiscent of garlic. For this, he has special prianal glands.
- Vipers and snakes prefer different biotope - habitat, vipers - the edges of swamps and clearings, already - areas near rivers and lakes, - says, in turn, Dmitry Vasiliev.
- And what about honeydew?
- This snake belongs to the family of already-shaped. It is not dangerous for humans,” Alexander Ognev explains. - The place closest to our strip, where it is very rare, is the south of the Tula region. Copperhead lives in mountains and steppes. The basis of its nutrition is agile lizards. Unlike the viviparous lizard, which lives everywhere in our suburbs, the quick lizard incubates its eggs in the sand, therefore it gravitates towards the forest-steppe, steppe zones.
- Can we say that in recent years the population of snakes in the Moscow region has increased?
— On the contrary, the number of snakes in the suburbs is getting smaller and smaller. These are the people who are "spreading". More and more so-called inconveniences are being handed out for summer cottages - lands unsuitable for agricultural work. These are tall, mixed forests, sphagnum swamps - just the places where vipers live. They simply have nowhere to go, for this reason they come across to people more often. And the snake population is declining. Roads are being built, construction is being actively carried out, forests are being cut down, thereby reducing the places suitable for wintering snakes.
What places should be avoided in order not to meet the viper?
In the spring they are close to wintering grounds. And wintering places for vipers are quite massive. For example, Nikolsky's vipers hibernate in groups of 2,000,” says Dmitry Vasiliev. “Thus, in the spring in a small clearing there can be a lot of snakes. And then, after molting and mating, they spread. According to studies, females usually migrate not far, up to 800 meters, while males can crawl up to 11 kilometers. In autumn they crawl back to the places where they spent the previous winter.
In the spring, when there is little sun, vipers can be found in some open places. And in the summer they can be seen early in the morning and in the evening. Usually meetings take place at the interface between the environments: a swamp - the edge of the forest, a mowed part under the power line - the edge of the forest, garbage in a summer cottage - a vegetable garden. Vipers do not like just a forest or an open field, they are there only as migrants. But the permanent places where they spend the night are associated with shelters, these should be shaded places where you can hide - holes, blockages of branches, and so on.
- So there are no vipers in the dense forest?
“They need to be able to warm up somewhere in the open. If this is a forest, then there should be a clearing nearby.
- What are the most "snake" areas of the Moscow region?
“These are the Savelovskoye and Volokolamsk directions,” says Alexander Ognev. - Near Volokolamsk, the viper has now practically been knocked out, near Dmitrov and Iksha they still remain. A sufficient number of outbreaks have been preserved in the area of Taldom and Dubna.
- I will agree. Traditionally, there are a lot of snakes in the Savelovsky direction, near Konakovo, Verbilok, says Dmitry Vasiliev. - Also in the Shatursky direction, in the Dmitrovsky district. At one time, between the 119th kilometer and Tempy platforms, I caught 40 vipers in half an hour.
- Is it true that the viper does not attack a person first?
- First of all, I want to note that Russia has a very safe nature. It greatly discourages our compatriots, - Alexander Ognev notes. “Therefore, I am not at all surprised that in Cambodia only Russian tourists are pricked by sea urchins, because it would never occur to a single European to step on a sea urchin. Or stick your fingers into coral crevices to see if moray eels are hiding there. A huge number of dangerous animals live to the south. Take the same Turkey, where there are already not only poisonous snakes, but also poisonous spiders, fish, jellyfish. In the middle zone of Russia, one should take it as a common rule: do not go barefoot and in shorts into the forest. And the worst thing there is not a viper, but a tick that can reward you with a whole bunch of diseases. And the death rate from the viper is very low. She does not chase people, she herself never attacks. This is a rather cowardly creature; in case of danger, she will try to escape. The only thing is, if you come across a pregnant female, it will be hard for her to quickly disappear, she will curl up into a ball, begin to hiss and defend herself. What are our people doing? They begin to beat her with a slipper in the face, the snake, respectively, bites them on the leg. Then they say: "A snake attacked me." In fact, they attacked the viper.
I know several places in the Moscow region where locals and vipers coexist perfectly. The snakes have their own "patch", they do not leave this territory, there is an excellent food base, full of rodents and frogs. And the villagers, accordingly, do not climb into their snake "state", do not disturb the reptiles.
You have to be careful when picking berries and mushrooms. Before stepping into the grass, move a stick along it. But you don't have to hit the bush with a stick. There were many cases when mushroom pickers accidentally picked up a snake, raised it along with a stick to their face, then were horrified: "A viper jumped on me." She does not jump 1.5 meters! The viper can make a throw up to a maximum of 10-15 centimeters. Sneakers, high boots or boots can serve as protection. The snake does not bite through them, the length of its teeth is 4-5 millimeters.
- If the viper sees a person, it will follow him. Before he steps on her, she will announce her presence - she will hiss, - says, in turn, Dmitry Vasiliev. - If the viper is heated, you won’t even see it, it will run away so fast, only the grass will rustle. Bites happen if they try to play with the viper, pick it up, or accidentally step on or sit on it.
What time of day are snakes active?
“They usually go out half an hour before dawn, take positions where they can bask in the sun. They “sunbathe” until 9 am, and when they warm up, they go into shelter, says Alexander Ognev. - The snake can be seen during the day. These are the so-called fattening snakes that are in search of food. The second peak of snake activity begins after four in the afternoon and lasts until sunset. My latest find of a viper was around 22:00.
"No tourniquets and immobility: let the poison dissipate"
- What to do if the viper still bit?
“Firstly, when you go into the forest, you must remember that you are an enemy there and that you are going to someone else’s territory. And you have to dress appropriately. Secondly, you need to put at least suprastin in your pocket. The fact is that the danger from a bite, according to my observations, is more due to an allergic reaction to the poison. Poison is a protein, and different people react to it differently. Death is usually associated with anaphylaxis. Edema of the mucous membranes of the mouth and nasopharynx can develop within 2 minutes - and the person dies.
I have no allergy to viper venom, some of my fellow snake catchers had swollen face, nasopharynx, someone had difficulty breathing. To prevent this from happening, you need to take some kind of antihistamine drug with you into the forest: tavegil, claritin, tsetrin, pipolfen. For example, I always had Diphenhydramine with me. This medicine, in addition to everything else, also has a powerful sedative effect - it relaxes and anesthetizes, which is important when bitten by a snake.
If you are not a small child, but an adult or teenager, a viper bite is unlikely to be fatal for you. Yes, it hurts, you will hurt. Teenagers or women can spend a week in bed. Men, as more massive creatures, cope with the bite of a viper in three to four days.
(Alexander Ognev knows what he is saying. 91 times poisonous teeth dug into him. 20 years of work in the serpentarium affected. Plus, when catching, the herpetologist was attached to: green rattlesnake, muzzle, steppe viper, Caucasian viper, common viper, bamboo keffiyeh, etc.)
- How right are those who are trying to suck the poison out of the wound?
“It has more of a psychological effect. The lesson is not bad, here we should not forget about the placebo (from Latin placebo, a substance without obvious medicinal properties, used as a medicine, the therapeutic effect of which is associated with the patient's belief in the effectiveness of the drug. - Auth.). Of course, you won’t suck out any poison there, but your mouth was occupied with something - and it was already distracted from the perception of the bite. We have to hear a warning - the main thing is that there are no wounds or caries in the mouth. All this is nonsense! I remember how my colleague, who was present at the performance of visiting guest performers in Sochi, volunteered to drink the snake venom that had been milked right on the stage. Everyone around, including the fakir, was dumbfounded. And Igorek - a professional with a capital letter - knew well that the poison only works if it gets into the blood. Even if there are sores or cuts in the mouth, it is difficult to imagine the rapid absorption of protein into the body. Viper venom is not an ointment that is absorbed into the skin.
“In the French Legion, for example, fighters are given a special fixed syringe with which you can suck out snake venom,” says Dmitry Vasiliev. - It is believed that in this way it is possible to remove somewhere 10-15% of the poison. But, it should be noted that the snake venom contains a special enzyme - hyaluronidase, which instantly removes the poison from the bite point. And it is better not to do any traumatic effects, in particular incisions, treatment with some kind of chemical agents such as potassium permanganate. Because of all this, you can subsequently limp all your life, lose a finger, and so on.
- Someone with a snake bite tries to apply a tourniquet. This is right?
- You don't have to do that. Just the same, it’s better if the poison dissipates throughout the body, says Alexander Ognev. “It's bullshit that poison can be stopped somewhere. One of the enzymes contained in viper venom causes tissue necrosis. If you apply a tourniquet, the chance of necrosis will increase, gangrene will set in - and you will have to amputate the part that you applied the tourniquet to. Any intoxication is measured by a milligram of poison per kilogram of the weight of the bitten. I believe that with a snake bite, the whole body should “work”, and not the part where the snake bit you. Let the poison dissipate. General poisoning will be more noticeable, but in general it will pass much faster and easier. My record was four hours.
When bitten by a snake, most guides advise you to remain still. I did the opposite. First, I drank alcohol, alcohol has a wonderful property, it works as a vasodilator. Secondly, I kept moving. I was bitten by a snake on my left hand, I worked intensively with a brush, just like when blood is taken from a person's vein. My hand swelled up very quickly, dizziness set in. Two hours later, severe itching began, and this is usually a signal that the poisoning has ended, and the body has begun to fight. After 4 hours, the swelling began to subside.
- This must be borne in mind when you sleep. On the first night after being bitten, many cannot sleep due to severe pain. Most often, a snake bites a person in the hand. It swells so much that it hurts even to touch. At night, it is necessary to build a pyramid from pillows and arrange the bitten hand 15-20 centimeters above the heart, if it is lower, it will be much more painful due to the flow of lymph and blood.
Do you need to drink more fluids when bitten by a snake?
- This is true. I went through various options, watermelon comes first, followed by beer and coffee. All of them have good diuretic properties. If you are in the forest, make tea and throw in a handful of lingonberry leaves. Lingonberries also have a pronounced diuretic property. The fact is that the poison is excreted from the body only through the kidneys. So you have to write, write and write again. And for this you need to constantly fill the body with water.
- Why do they say: in case of a snake bite, in no case do not take alcohol?
- Most of our people do not know how to drink alcohol in small portions, and having pretty much taken it on their chests, they lose touch with reality, become disoriented. For myself, empirically, I found the right dose, this is 50-70 grams of vodka. No more, alcohol should work as a superficial vasodilator. I also used fresh water with the addition of dry wine. An acidic environment disinfects, you never know what E. coli you pick up from a local reservoir.
- There are those who apply a half of a cut onion to the bite site. Does it have any effect?
- It is useless to do so. There is no longer any poison at the bite site, says Dmitry Vasiliev. - There is such a significant experience. In a guinea pig, spots were shaved on both sides to bare skin, and poison, tinted with methylene blue, was injected at one point, and saline solution with methylene blue was injected at the other. The area of the spot where the poison was injected was a hundred times larger than the area where the saline was injected. That is, the conductors in the poison instantly take him away from the bite point. He "flies" to the nearest lymph node.
If there is no allergic component, the viper's venom is not strong enough to cause the death of an adult. But if within an hour after the bite there is a severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the mucous membranes, clouding and loss of consciousness, a feeling of flashing light in the eyes, the person must be urgently taken to the hospital.
91 times poisonous teeth dug into the herpetologist Alexander Ognev. Photo from personal archive.
"You can not use serum prepared on the venom of other snakes against the bite of a viper"
- What would you say to those who, going to the forest, take with them an antidote - ampoules with anti-snake serum?
“The fact is that serum allergy is more common than poison,” says Alexander Ognev. - We must remember that this is not a vaccine, this is exactly the serum that is obtained in biofactories. For its manufacture, snake venom is injected into the body of a horse or mule. They give an injection containing poison in a dosage much lower than the lethal dose. Then slowly increase the dose. Antibodies accumulate in the animal, then blood is taken from it, blood cells are separated, and pure plasma is used to prepare serum. Such horses and mules are worth their weight in gold. I want to warn you: you can not use a serum prepared on the venom of other snakes against the bite of a viper.
And it is better if you will be given it in a medical institution. Doctors will first do a test, an injection with a minimum dose and see the reaction so that there is no redness. Then the serum will be injected subcutaneously, but not with one injection, but with eight or ten, in small doses they will prick the bite site. I have never injected serum in my entire life. I repeat: when bitten by a common viper, if you are an adult, this is not necessary.
- If you go to the nearest hospital, can you be sure that they will have anti-snake serum in stock?
I don't know what their situation is now. Previously, a pharmacy where you could buy serum with a guarantee was located on Tishinskaya Square. Serum was produced in Stavropol and Nizhny Novgorod. Now it can be bought online. ("MK" checked and made sure that there were more than enough offers. An ampoule with serum against common viper venom costs 450-550 rubles. Shelf life - no more than a year, must be stored in the refrigerator. It is freely sold to private individuals. The courier is ready to deliver the serum to any point.)
“There may not be serum in small rural hospitals, but it is always available at the Poison Center of the Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine, at the Filatov Children’s City Clinical Hospital No. 13, as well as in regional hospitals,” says Dmitry Vasilyev.
How does viper venom affect cats and dogs?
- About the same as for a person. Dogs of large breeds of the Malos group are sensitive to snake venom, says Dmitry Vasiliev. - Most often, dogs get a bite in the area of \u200b\u200bthe nasolabial triangle, that is, when they sniff a snake. They quickly develop swelling, and it can be difficult for dogs to swallow food or water. And, for example, hunting dogs and dachshunds quite easily tolerate snake bites. In cops and drathaars, after 6 hours, the symptoms of poisoning spontaneously disappear, which does not exclude further complications associated with the kidneys. Large breed dogs may experience heart murmurs, wheezing, and pulmonary edema. Treatment for dogs is the same as for humans. In the hospital, they are injected with anti-snake serum. And then they produce symptomatic treatment: if the pressure drops, they raise it, “drip” antihistamines and painkillers.
- Can other types of poisonous snakes appear in the Moscow region due to warming?
“In connection with warming, other species may appear, but we must take into account that it takes about 5-6 thousand years to form a species,” says Alexander Ognev. - The closest point where there is a gyurza is the spurs of the Talga Range, northwest of Makhachkala. The northernmost point where there is a cobra is the desert and the Ustyurt plateau in the west of Central Asia, at the junction of the borders of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Can a snake sting while in water?
— The Viper swims, and quite well. Another thing is that she does not live where there are large bodies of water. And she easily swims across small rivers, - says Alexander Ognev. - In the river, if you grab it with your hand, of course, it can attack. But this is not her native element, in the river she thinks how to get away from you.
“I know for sure two cases when a snake bit a person in the water while trying to throw it away,” says Dmitry Vasiliev. - This is despite the fact that the snake must take a certain pose in order to bite. In order to throw forward the front third of the body, it needs some kind of solid support. And water is not very suitable for this. If someone mentions a snake in the water, then this is most likely already. They swim very willingly.
- And can you meet a water snake in the rivers near Moscow?
“The closest point to the Moscow region where there are water snakes is the Saratov region,” says Alexander Ognev. - Some kind of diversity appears, starting with the Tula region. There already appears Nikolsky's viper, a verdigris, which is not poisonous. Closer to Volgograd, you can meet the steppe viper, yellow-bellied snake. South of Volgograd - Sarmatian and patterned snake. The further south, the more species of snakes. But still, it cannot be compared with the tropics, subtropics, the Caucasus and the Far East.
How can you protect your garden from snakes?
- In the morning, about 8 hours, when the sun is just starting to bake, go around your territory, carefully examine everything. Usually snakes are heated and are motionless. In order not to meet with a viper in your country house, clean the site and remove construction waste, says Dmitry Vasiliev. - If you see a shed snake skin, recultivate these places, fill in all the holes.
- It is impossible that on the garden plot there were deposits of firewood, heaps of boards, pieces of roofing material that remained after the repair, - Alexander Ognev explains, in turn. - Neatly stacked firewood is of little interest to anyone. But piled, rotten boards and heaps of garbage are an ideal place for shelter of rodents, lizards. A viper can also climb there and will feel completely safe. Mow regularly the grass near the garden plot - and it will lose its attractiveness for lizards, shrews, voles, vipers.
Update: October 2018
Just the sight of a crawling snake inspires us with horror and fear. But, contrary to the opinion of many people, even the most venomous snake will never attack a person in order to deliberately bite. By attacking a person, the snake protects itself from danger. Only now a person rarely steps on a snake in order to crush it.
Thus, a person receives snake bites through negligence, accidentally stepping on an animal or disturbing its habitat, while a snake attacks a person, since the natural instinct of self-preservation is triggered. This is another reason to be especially vigilant when visiting forests and swamps!
Statistical facts about snakes
How to distinguish a venomous snake bite from a non-venomous one
On the left is a non-venomous snake, on the right is a poisonous one.
Snakes are a suborder of reptiles that has many families, both venomous and non-venomous, with a variety of colors and patterns. In addition, there are melanistic individuals (black). Therefore, sometimes it is not easy to distinguish a poisonous individual from a non-poisonous one, for example, a melanistic viper from a melanistic snake, etc.
Few of us can quickly determine if a snake is venomous or not. When a person accidentally disturbed a snake, and she, defending herself, bit him, it is not rare that he does not even see her. And if she notices, it is difficult to quickly determine whether her bite is dangerous or not. However, this can be recognized by the bite mark left behind:
- The bite of a poisonous snake - traces of its fangs are visible
- Bite of a non-venomous snake - 2 scratches or small thin strips
If you managed to make out the snake that bit you, try to remember its size, color, pattern, characteristic movements, etc., this can be useful for selecting the necessary serum.
Non-venomous snakes
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Poisonous snakes
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in the south of the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in the Kazakh steppes, floodplains of the rivers of Altai, Uzbekistan, in the foothills of Kyrgyzstan |
in Azerbaijan, the steppes of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, the shores of the Aral Sea, the Caspian Sea, southern Siberia, Northern Uzbekistan |
in Central Asia (sandy areas) |
in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Transcaucasia |
in Southern Uzbekistan, in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan |
Characteristics of bites of poisonous snakes of our latitudes
In our latitudes, there are 14 species of poisonous snakes from the families of already-like, viper and aspids. Even a copperhead, representatives of already similar ones, can bite a person, but their bite is not dangerous, only suppuration of the wound is possible. But the representatives of the two remaining families are a real danger to life.
| Vipers - common viper | Slate - Central Asian cobra | |
| Attack features | When a potential danger approaches, it tries to crawl away or lies quietly. It bites if stepped on, picked up or chased. | At the sight of danger, it takes a typical pose, hisses, when a person approaches, it jumps forward, but it does not always bite at this moment, it can simply hit its head with its jaws closed. |
| Poison components |
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| Where does poison accumulate? | In the head of the snake there are special poisonous glands, the excretory ducts of which fall into the fangs. The release of poison occurs due to the contraction of the temporal muscles. | |
| Action of the poison | Destroys the walls of blood vessels, proteins, blood cells. Blood clots form inside the vessels, the function of the heart and liver is damaged, the water-mineral balance is disturbed. | Causes a violation of reflex activity. There are paralysis, paresis of the limbs, heart failure and circulatory disorders. |
Symptoms of a venomous snake bite
After a snake bite, a certain symptom complex develops rather, which is directly related to the ingress and spread of snake venom throughout the body. The consequences of a cobra attack are always more severe than vipers. The severity of the bite and, accordingly, the symptoms, depends on several factors:
- body weight of the victim- the smaller it is, the more severe the intoxication;
- human health status- chronic diseases aggravate the course of intoxication;
- bite sites: the most dangerous in the head, neck and the ingress of poison into the blood vessel;
- air temperature- the higher it is, the faster intoxication develops;
- the size of the snake - large individuals secrete more poison;
- the amount of poison that enters the body.
Surprisingly, a viper's bite can be completely harmless if it has recently used its venom - the deadly fluid is produced slowly.
common viper
| Local | General | Symptoms of severe intoxication |
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Central Asian cobra
| local symptoms | General symptoms |
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What not to do if you are bitten by a snake
- Apply a tourniquet - a sharp violation of blood circulation increases the degree of tissue damage and intoxication.
- Cut tissue at the site of the bite, supposedly to release blood with poison. This is fraught with infection in the wound, poison entering the vessels and damage to vital vessels and nerves.
- Burn the wound.
- Take alcohol, which accelerates the spread of poison throughout the body.
- Cut off the area of damage with anesthetics (novocaine, adrenaline).
First aid for a snake bite
If a person died from the bite of a poisonous snake, most likely this was due to untimely first aid. The first aid algorithm will help save a person from the severe consequences of a snake attack, and sometimes death:
- call an ambulance. Even if objectively a person feels good, after a couple of minutes, life-threatening conditions can occur, such as impaired cardiac and respiratory function.
- Suck the poison out of the wound as soon as possible (optimally - within 1-3 minutes after the bite):
- slightly open the punctures from the teeth, slightly rubbing the damaged skin between the fingers;
- grab the tissues near the wounds with your teeth and suck out the poison, slightly squeezing the surrounding tissues with your hands;
- the liquid that was sucked out should be immediately spit out - the danger of poisoning by poison that has entered the stomach is minimal, but it is definitely not worth swallowing a mixture of poison and blood;
- actions should be clear and fast, the procedure time is 15-20 minutes
If you are alone in such a situation, and it is physically impossible to suck out the poison yourself, try at least to squeeze out some blood from the wound in the first minutes. But this should be done very carefully, pressing down on the surrounding tissues, and not on the wound itself.
- Disinfect the wound alcohol-free antiseptic (hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate solution, brilliant green) - gently wipe the wounded surface.
- Apply an aseptic bandage to the wound.
- Ensure rest of the limb and the whole body- release the limb from clothes, watches, bracelets (if the bite fell on the hand), fix the limb with splints and take a horizontal position.
- Apply a compression bandage to the limb– loosely wrap with an elastic bandage so that a finger can easily pass under the bandage.
- Apply cold to the bite- ice in a towel, a heating pad with cold water.
- Take antihistamines:
- enter intramuscularly 1 ml of 1% solution of diphenhydramine, suprastin;
- or take an oral antihistamine (Suprastin, Loratadin, Phencarol) and continue taking it according to the instructions for 3-5 days;
- or (if the reaction is severe) inject 30-60 mg of prednisolone intramuscularly or take 1 tablet of 5 mg orally.
- Relieve general toxicity:
- drink 3-5 liters of fluid per day;
- when bitten by a viper, a warm alkaline drink is recommended (mineral water without gas, soda solution 1 tsp per glass of water) in a volume of 1-2 liters;
- take vitamins C and P;
- intravenously: 400 ml of 5% glucose, 400 ml of rheopolyglucin.
- Stimulate cardiac and respiratory activity(if necessary and the presence of appropriate symptoms): chest compressions, artificial respiration.
- Administer the antidote. This activity is carried out by a medical professional. Depending on what kind of snake has bitten a person, Antigyurza or Anticobra serum is injected. The action of sera is based on the destruction of the components of the poison. Most effective when administered in the first hours after the bite, should be administered no later than the first day.
Prevention of snake bites
- Do not provoke the snake to active actions, do not shout, let it crawl away calmly and hide;
- Be careful in the forest and swamp, look under your feet, do not walk in places where deadwood is located;
- When visiting forests, wear high boots and thick clothing;
- When moving through the forest, tap in front of you with a long stick. When picking berries from a small shrub, also run a stick over it, and only after a few minutes pick berries;
- When spending the night in the forest, carefully check the tents and sleeping bags for snakes. Close tent doors tightly.
Spider bites
The probability of meeting in nature with spiders is much higher than with snakes. Spiders are not known to attack humans, most often a person gets bitten due to their own carelessness and reckless curiosity, catching spiders and putting them on their hand. Like any other living creature, a spider protects itself, so it can bite when a person disturbs an arthropod without noticing it, since their size is small.
Statistical facts:
- There are about 30,000 varieties of spiders in the world;
- Almost all of them are poisonous;
- The poison is produced by special glands and injected into the victim through fangs - chelicerae;
- The most poisonous poison for humans is produced by a female karakurt - a black widow;
- The larger the spider, the more venom it produces.
What does a spider bite look like and feel like?
- The moment of the bite is similar to piercing the skin with a thin needle or is completely imperceptible;
- A white spot with pink or red edges appears at the site of damage;
- Redness, numbness and tingling of the bite area is noted;
- After some time, an ulcer may form at the site of the bite, the contents of which are gradually rejected;
- Symptoms of intoxication appear within 5-20 minutes;
- Common symptoms may develop: headache, muscle weakness, chills, convulsions, shortness of breath, palpitations, gastrointestinal spasms, urticaria.
 South Russian tarantulaIt lives in minks, in arid regions in the south of Russia. Habitat - steppes, deserts. A bite is a spherical swelling of a pale color with reddish edges, which bursts within 1-2 hours and turns into an ulcer |
 Spider - hermitIt lives from the southern midwestern United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The bite is a blister with a bluish-purple, red, or white border that looks like a target. Increases in size and bursts with the formation of an ulcer |
 Karakurt - black widowIt lives in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Astrakhan, Rostov, Volgograd, Saratov, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov and the Black Sea, Altai Territory, even in Novosibirsk. They love the slopes of ravines, virgin sagebrush, the banks of ditches and where the summer is hot, the autumn is warm. Bite - not visually noticeable - a small red spot may form, which quickly disappears |
Black Widow
The phrase black widow is the second name of the female karakurt, because after mating she devours the male. This black spider is deadly to humans, and symptoms develop only after a few hours. Biting, a black widow brings a person discomfort in the form of pain, but the wound itself is almost invisible on the skin.
Bite symptoms - develop after 1-2 hours, subside within 1-3 days:
- Pain and erythema at the site of injury;
- agitation, restlessness;
- Headache and dizziness;
- sweating;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- hypertension;
- Increased salivation;
- Erythematous rash, itching;
- Ptosis;
- swelling of the extremities;
- Muscle spasms, convulsions;
- Spasmodic pain in the abdomen.
Paresthesia, convulsions, weakness, and restlessness may persist for several weeks.
Fatal outcomes are rare, the risk group is children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases. The most dangerous outcome is the development of DIC: disseminated intravascular platelet coagulation, which quickly leads to death.
Tarantula
Tarantula lives in the steppe and desert areas, hunts at night. The notion of a tarantula as a deadly arthropod is greatly exaggerated. The bite of this type of spider extremely rarely leads to the death of a person and only with the development of severe allergies in the form of anaphylactic shock. A tarantula can bite a person, or it can protect itself in another way - by shedding thin hairs that pierce the skin:
tarantula
The tarantula, a colorful representative of spiders, often becomes a pet and can bite its owner. They do not carry a mortal danger. Biting a person, he only damages the skin, but does not inject poison. Therefore, a typical swelling forms at the site of damage, which disappears after a few days. However, if the wound is not treated, infection and suppuration of the affected area are possible.
Recluse spider bite
The hermit is common in the USA and Australia. On the back of the arthropod there is a camouflage pattern in the form of a violin, so it is difficult to notice it in places where it likes to hide - old boxes, cracks in walls and floors, niches under beds. The bite of a hermit is not noticeable to a person, and deadly symptoms are formed only on the second day:
- severe itching, induration and swelling at the site of injury;
- ulceration of the skin at the site of the bite;
- tissue necrosis to deep layers of the skin, difficult to treat;
- elevated temperature;
- pain in muscles and joints;
- cough, runny nose.
A lethal outcome is possible with the development of severe intoxication - arachnosis: necrosis of the skin and nearby tissues, diffuse myalgia and convulsions, a drop in blood pressure, hemolysis of erythrocytes, and depression of cardiac activity.
Spider-spider and black house spider
- Crosses are the most common type of spider in our area. They weave their webs around a person's dwelling and even inside a house. They reach sizes up to 1-2 cm.
- The black house spider is smaller and lives both inside and outside the dwelling.
A person is bitten only when it falls into his hands, and then if they try to hold the spider. The bites of domestic spiders do not pose a mortal danger. Epeirotoxin, the main component of the poison, can lead to cold symptoms - aches in the joints, weakness and headache, which is present for about a day. A slight swelling forms at the site of injury.
What to do with a spider bite?
First aid helps to avoid unpleasant complications of a spider bite. If the damage does not cause concern, these measures are quite enough, but it will not be superfluous to play it safe and visit a doctor:
- Wash the bite with cold water and soap, the sooner the better.
- Treat the wound with an available antiseptic: chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate solution.
- Immobilize the bitten limb.
- Bandage the limb with an elastic bandage above the injury, tightly, but not too tight.
- Apply cold to the bite site.
- Drink as much liquid as possible.
- With the development of general symptoms -.
- With the development of a mild allergic reaction, take an antihistamine - Loratadin, Suprastin, Fenkarol.
When to see a doctor
If you suspect or know for sure that you have been bitten by a spider, you need to see a doctor. It is difficult for a simple layman to differentiate which type of spider attacked, but there is definitely no need to waste precious time.
If you experience the symptoms described below, you should not hesitate to call an ambulance:
- Rash all over body;
- Numbness of the damaged area;
- muscle spasms and cramps;
- Pain in right hypochondrium, similar to appendicitis;
- Hyperthermia;
- Headache;
- General weakness;
- Pink urine.
What to do if bitten by a poisonous spider?
In this case, you should immediately visit a doctor or call an ambulance. Of course, first aid measures will help reduce intoxication, but they should be performed on the way to the hospital or while waiting for an ambulance, i.e. there is no way to do without medical help.
- Black widow bites treated with the introduction of a special serum and antihistamine therapy. In severe cases, an intravenous infusion of cardiac drugs, respiratory analeptics, muscle relaxants is performed, hormone therapy is indicated.
- Hermit bites are treated for a long time due to the development of specific tissue necrosis. Dead skin and tissue are removed surgically, hormonal and antibiotic therapy is prescribed.
- Detoxification therapy in the form of intravenous administration of saline solutions and glucose allows you to cope with the common symptoms of a spider bite.
Spider bite prevention
- Do not pick up and do not try to catch spiders - the active actions of a person provoke spiders to attack. This recommendation also applies to domestic spiders, especially exotic ones, which have become fashionable to breed in apartments.
- Exercise caution when visiting attics, street buildings, parsing old things.
- Eliminate the creation of conditions favorable for the justification of spiders: clean up in a timely manner, especially in hard-to-reach places: under and behind cabinets, behind cornices, etc.
- When visiting areas where poisonous spiders are found, wear tight shoes and wear closed clothing.
- Try not to show excessive curiosity and not stick your hands into cracks, under stones, etc., teach this to your children too!
During your stay in nature, you should always remember about your safety, which concerns not only salvation from natural disasters, attacks of predatory animals, insects, but also reptiles. On the territory of Russia, there are several types of poisonous snakes, which are best avoided: these are viper, viper, yellow-bellied snake, copperhead, muzzle. In addition, there is the possibility of meeting with exotic reptiles on the territory of the Russian Federation, imported from southern countries, for example, with the efa, the Central Asian cobra. When meeting with a snake, it is necessary to be able to recognize its species, whether it is poisonous or not, in order to take all measures to prevent an attack and avoid unpleasant consequences. If, nevertheless, an attack by a reptile has occurred, you need to know how first aid is provided for a bite of a poisonous snake. If help is not provided on time, there is a risk of death.
How to distinguish a poisonous snake?
The most common types of poisonous snakes in Russia are the viper and muzzle. If luck is not on your side, you can also meet some exotic species of poisonous snakes. As a rule, poisonous snakes are not the first to attack a person, but do it in self-defense. They become especially aggressive during the mating season and molting.
Not everyone will be able to determine at a meeting whether a poisonous reptile or not. There are several signs that distinguish venomous snakes from non-venomous ones:
- Triangular head.
- Bright coloring or intricate pattern on a contrasting background.
- Vertical slits of the eyelids. Non-venomous snakes usually have round eyes.
- The presence of a heat-sensitive fossa between the nostrils and eyes, thanks to which the viper finds warm-blooded prey.
- A rattlesnake has a "rattle" at the end of its body.
- Most venomous snakes have one row of scales at the end of their tail, while non-venomous snakes have two.
- If you see a snake swimming on water, you can definitely say that it is poisonous.
- Only poisonous reptiles have fangs. If she has bitten, the danger of the snake can be determined from the trace of the bite - the wound after a non-poisonous reptile has jagged edges, and after a poisonous one - one or two punctures from fangs.
The bite of a venomous snake can be fatal if you do not take timely first aid measures.
. If you meet a snake on the way, you do not need to provoke it to attack, try to grab or kill it. If she began to hiss, rattle her tail, spit, this serves as a warning before an attack.
Snakebite
Snakebite If there was no obvious threat from the snake, but a snake bite was noticed, or there was an attack, but you are not sure that the snake is not poisonous, you need to monitor the symptoms that may arise:
- With the bites of poisonous snakes on the skin, you can see 1 or 2 punctures left by the fangs of the viper.
- At the site of the bite, there is pain, burning.
- After 10-30 minutes, swelling appears at the site of the bite.
- The skin around the wound becomes bluish.
- Nausea, dizziness, body temperature decreases, drowsiness appears.
- Paleness of the skin
- Confusion
- severe weakness
- Shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, kidney failure may develop.
As a rule, such symptoms occur with the bites of most poisonous snakes, including vipers. If assistance is not provided for bites, there is a risk of tissue death and the development of gangrene of the limb. The bites of the Central Asian cobra have slightly different symptoms: there is a strong, burning pain in the damaged area, but there is no change in the color of the tissues. The place of the wound swells a little, an ichor is released from it. The functions of the damaged limb are impaired, this manifests itself in the occurrence of paralysis of the ascending type.
Cobra neurotoxin has a devastating effect on the facial muscles: the eyelids and lower jaw spontaneously drop, the movement of the eyeballs is disturbed. In addition, there is a general intoxication of the body: severe weakness, anxiety, difficulty in breathing and swallowing reflexes, increased salivation, nausea, vomiting, incoherent, slurred speech. Cobra bites are very poisonous, and when the first symptoms appear, urgent emergency care is necessary for the victim, otherwise death is possible after 2 or 7 hours due to respiratory arrest.
Snakebite Not always and not all people develop symptoms in the same way. Firstly, it depends on the age of the person: more pronounced symptoms of snake venom poisoning will be in children and the elderly, as well as in the presence of various diseases and reduced immunity. Secondly, the severity of symptoms depends on the type of snake and its size: cobra bites are considered more poisonous than vipers, and when a small and young snake bites, it does less harm than a large and adult individual. Thirdly, the place of the bite is important: the limbs of a person are often attacked, and then the symptoms do not spread as quickly and are not expressed as strongly as with bites to the neck, face, parts of the body where large blood vessels are located. Fourthly, the condition of snake teeth can cause more or less harm, depending on their infection, leading to the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the wound.
What to do if bitten by a venomous snake
What to do if bitten by a venomous snake To avoid irreparable consequences if an attack occurs, you need to know what to do with a bite:
- You can not actively and quickly move, so as not to allow the poison to spread faster throughout the body. The degree of development of symptoms depends on the rate of spread of poison in the blood.
- You need to try to keep the bite intact, you can not injure it even more, for example, cut or cauterize.
- It is necessary to ensure the free movement of the lymph flow, therefore, it is impossible to apply a tourniquet to the injured limb in order to avoid impaired blood flow, destruction and death of tissues.
- You can not take alcohol - it makes it difficult to remove the toxic substance from the body.
- You should immediately protect yourself from a repeated attack by a reptile.
- If the attack fell on the hand, you must immediately remove all rings and other jewelry so that they do not squeeze the limb during swelling.
First of all, the victim must be provided with complete rest and plenty of fluids to quickly remove the poison from the body. Further measures are aimed at preventing its spread throughout the body, deterioration of well-being, as well as reducing the strength of the development of symptoms before the victim is provided with qualified medical care.
First aid for snakebite
First aid for snakebite First aid, as mentioned earlier, should be provided immediately. This is reflected in the following activities:
- To prevent the poison from actively spreading throughout the body, it is necessary to immobilize the affected limb, as is done with a fracture. To do this, you need to fix the two nearest joints by applying a splint.
- During first aid for a bite, it is necessary to carefully examine the clothing and skin around the wound for the presence of traces of poison. Hitting these places, you can inadvertently bring an additional portion of poison into the wound.
- An effective technique is the suction of poison from the wound. But, it is necessary to do this only if there are no micro-wounds in the mouth. Suction must begin immediately, as soon as an attack occurs. For 15 minutes, it is necessary to spit the poison, thoroughly rinsing the mouth after it. There is also a safer method for the rescuer to suck out the poison, using a glass jar. To do this, you need to take an ordinary vial, burn oxygen out of it, and put it on the bite site for 1 minute. The vacuum effect will allow the poisonous substance to be drawn out. The effectiveness of this method depends on the depth of the bite, the degree of swelling of the wound, as well as the speed of the rescuer.
- It is necessary to disinfect the wound with any improvised means - iodine, brilliant green, etc. Apply a clean, non-pressure bandage to the bite site, loosening it as swelling increases.
- Give the victim plenty of fluids, except for coffee and alcohol. This will remove the part of the poison left after sucking, which did not have time to dissolve in the blood.
As these events are carried out, the victim should be immediately taken to the hospital, where anti-snake serum will be introduced to him. Self-administration of this drug is contraindicated, since it is necessary to know the exact dose of the administered serum, otherwise there is a high risk of anaphylactic shock. In a medical facility, to reduce the likelihood of shock, the victim is pre-administered with a solution of Prednisolone or Hydrocortisone along with intravenous administration of sodium chloride solution, 5% glucose solution and albumin.
Traditional medicine
St. John's wort tea for prevention after a snake bite If an accident with an attack by poisonous snakes occurred far from civilization, first aid may involve the use of traditional medicine:
- Moisten a cotton swab with ammonia solution, apply to the wound, changing three times a day.
- Steam fresh or dried veronica grass (the so-called snake grass), apply to the wound.
- Use crushed garlic with salt.
- For anesthesia, you can use a gruel from a series of tripartite, applying it to the wound.
- As a lotion, you can also use crushed nettle leaves mixed with honey.
What to do with a snake bite: video