#Health&Fitness: First Aid Tips for Snakebites - Part 1...By Dr. Fresh

First things first. When you see a snake, RUN like Hell...It doesn't matter whether its small,big, venomous or a non-venomous snake, a snakebite is not funny! Savvy?

Snakebite

Now in all honesty, Snakes are remarkable animals, successful on land, in the sea, in forests, in grasslands, in lakes, and in deserts. Despite their sinister reputation, snakes are almost always more scared of you than you are of them.Snakes bite only when threatened or surprised. Few snakes, with the occasional exception of king cobras or black mambas, act aggressively toward a human without provocation.

Enough of the lecture about snakes, what you do in a snakebite situation

If a snake bites you

If you know  the snake is not venomous, treat as a puncture wound but it is venomous, here are some crucial steps you need to take to stay alive.

How to identify a venomous or non venomous snakebite.

• Remain calm.
• Move beyond the striking distance of the snake.
• Note the Snake's Appearance. Be ready to describe the snake to emergency staff, it will help in your treatment.*
• Immobilize the bitten arm or leg, and stay as quiet as possible to keep the venom from spreading through your body.
• Remove any items or clothing which may constrict the bitten limb if it swells (rings, bracelets, watches, footwear, etc.)
• Position yourself, if possible, so that the bite is at or below the level of your heart.
• Cleanse the wound, but don't flush it with water, and cover it with a clean, dry dressing.
• Apply a splint to reduce movement of the affected area, but keep it loose enough so as not to restrict blood flow.
• Don't use a tourniquet or apply ice.
• Don't cut the wound or attempt to suck out the venom.
• Don't drink caffeine or alcohol.
• Don't try to capture the snake, but try to remember its color and shape so you can describe it, which 

Call 112 or seek immediate medical attention, especially if the area changes color, begins to swell or is painful.


*Some characteristics are unique to certain poisonous snakes:

• Rattlesnakes rattle by shaking the rings at the end of their tails.
• Water moccasins' mouths have a white, cottony lining.
• Coral snakes have red, yellow and black rings along the length of their bodies.
• Pit viper's heads are triangular, with a depression (pit) midway between the eye and nostril on either side of the head.
• Cobra can flatten its neck area and seat upright facing forward straight.

 HBC: In the second part, Dr. Fresh will teach us how to manage a snakebite where there is no doctor or immediate medical attention.