5 THINGS YOU MUST DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER A SNAKE BITE

Reading this post today might save your life tomorrow as you'd never know when you might be battling with a snake bite, either out in the woods or at your back yard. While not all snakes are venomous, every bite should be taken very seriously and first aid applied immediately till the bite is confirmed non-venomous by a doctor.

5 Things You Must Do Immediately After A Snake Bite

SOURCE👉Pixabay Image By Brett_Hondow

(1) Relax & Stay Calm

After a snake bite, most people usually run off either to get help or out of fear, but this is wrong. Once bitten, you just have to move away a bit from the area, pick your phone and call someone, then you relax and apply the first aid tips i will talk about. Running off immediately increases your heart rate which will make the venom spread faster. Immediately after the bite, move away slowly and don't panic.

(2) Remove Clothing Around Bitten Area

After you've been bitten, immediately remove cloths or other tight materials like bangles, rings and other jewerries around the affected area. This is because the area will definitely begin to swell almost immediate, and as it swells, those materials like rings will begin to hurt your finger and might even rupture the area. Always remember to remove all materials around the area.

(3) Tie A Bandge Over The Affected Area

Next is to apply the Pressure Immobilization Technique (PIT) by tying a bandage over the area up to the groin or arm pit. Most people tie a piece of cloth across the affected area in other to cut off blood circulation but its wrong. While cloth can be use too, the aim of tying a bandage over the area is to reduce lymphatic flow, as the venom is not spread through the blood stream like many think, but through the lymphatic system.

(4) Do Not Cut Or Suck

Part of the first aid treatment people give against snake bite especially in local and remote villages of Nigeria, is either trying to suck out the venom using the mouth or to cut open the affected area to let the venom out. While this works to an extent, i don't advice that as you might leaving yourself prone to infection or causing yourself additional injuries. Your local hospitals/ clinics should have anti-venom for indeginous snakes.

(5) OTHER TIPS

It is always helpful if you can identify the type of snake that bite you as it can help doctors apply the right anti-venom. Do not eat or drink especially caffine or alcoholic drinks after bitten by a snake to keep metabolism rate low. Remember to call someone or 9.11 depending on your country, before starting first aid. First aid should be done as quickly as possible. Remember it is always safer to stay away from snakes cause prevention is better than cure.

I suggest you read this post two or three times to get the details right just in case you are bitten by a snake, or maybe you find yourself in the position to help someone bitten by a snake. By the way, i was inspired to write this post after watching SNAKE IN THE CITY on NAT GEO WILD, by Simon Keys and Siouxsie Gillett.

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