How to treat a snake bite step by step – 8 tips

Considered as a dangerous animal, snake is the culprit that may bring about unexpected accidents and unforeseeable aftermaths. It can be life-threatening if snake bites are not be treated instantly. Hence, in this article, I will show you some useful tips on how to treat a snake bite step by step that help you know what to do immediately after being bitten by a snake.

How To Treat A Snake Bite Step By Step – Best Popular Remedies:

Snake is a name to call a group of carnivorous reptiles which have elongated shape, no leg, no eyelids and no external ears. There are 2 kinds of snake: nonvenomous snakes and venomous snakes. And luckily, most species are nonvenomous. Out of 3000 snake species, only about 400 of them in the world are venomous.

Nonvenomous snakes kill prey by constriction or swallow them alive while venomous snakes primarily use poison to kill their prey. Though snakes are meat eaters, humans are too large for a snake to eat, so why do snakes bite humans? In fact, aside from hunting, snake bites also serves as a self-defensive technique. It sounds ridiculous, but snakes are more scared of you than you are of them. Therefore, they only bite as a person steps on a snake accidently while walking out or approaches it too closely.

Despite the fact that more people die from wasp and bee stings than from snake bites, this problem is far from simple and must be deemed as a hazard. A bite from a nonvenomous snake can cause an allergic reaction or an infection. Even worse is that a venomous snakebite can lead to the death. If treated immediately after being bitten by a snake, you can overcome even the worst situations. Here are some ways on how to treat a snake bite that are concluded over the years and very useful.

1. Move Away From The Snake: 

how to treat a snake bite-move away from the snake

This is very first step on how to treat a snake bite step by step that I suggest and hope you will keep it in mind to avoid further bites and further victims. After being bitten by a snake, you should immediately go to a safe place where is far from the snake’s range. By this way, a second bite or a second victim can be prevented. Nonetheless, if you run away or move too far, your heart will start pumping faster, which makes the venom spread through your body more quickly.  Also, attempting to catch or kill the snake is completely not recommended because it may put you in a highly dangerous situation.

2. Call For Help:

how to treat a snake bite-call for help

The best you can do on how to treat a snake bite is to find medical help as soon as possible. Whether you are bitten by a venomous snake or a nonvenomous snake, it is imperative to get medical care right away. Emergency staffs know how to treat a snake bite step by step in the right way. Do not go home and try to handle by yourself. Your life may be threatened.

3. Stay Calm: 

how to treat a snake bite-stay calm

This is also the key thing on how to treat a snake bite step by step that I would like to introduce you and hope that you will read it carefully. It is a normal reaction if you get into a panic as you or someone you are with is bitten by a snake. The fact, however, is that acute stress reaction increases blood flow. That means the life of victim will be threatened. For this reason, keep the victim stay as calm and quiet as possible.

4. Take Note Of The Snake’s Appearance:

how to treat a snake bite-take note of the snake's appearance

This is also an important thing for you even though it seems a little bit strange or even lame for someone. However, in fact, this is actually very necessary at all. You might be surprised but taking note of the snake’s appearance play an important role on how to treat a snake bite step by step. Snakes vary from one country to another. Different snakes have different types of venom and affects human in different ways. Then, it is necessary to describe the snake’s shape, size and color for emergency physicians in order to identify what type of snake responsible for the bite and plan the most appropriate treatment. Remember that it is not safe if you walk toward the snake or spend a lot of time to try to get a better look at it. You just have to simply look at the snake quickly and then move far away from them.

5. Keep The Victim Still: 

how to treat a snake bite-keep the victim still

Keep the part of your body that has been bitten as still as possible is the key thing on how to treat a snake bite you should not skip. By that way, you can prevent the venom spreading around your body. Also, keep the area at or below the level of your heart. This will slow down the flow of any affected blood towards the heart, which would help limit the pumping of the venom throughout your body.

6. Remove Clothing, Jewelry Or Constricting Items: 

how to treat a snake bite-remove constricting items

This is also one thing that you should notice on how to treat a snake bite step by step. If swelling occurs, immediately removing such items or clothing that may constrict the bitten limb as rings, bracelets, watches, footwear because even a loose piece of clothing can become too tight as the bite area swells.

7. Clean The Wound As Best As You Can:

how to treat a snake bite-clean the wound

While waiting for medical help, you can do first aid for the snake bite. This is also a thing on how to treat a snake bite that you should put great emphasis on. Take a clean cloth and soak it in water. Therefore, clean the wound in a gentle but thorough way.

It should be noted that do not attempt to stop the spread of venom by putting tourniquets on the bite after cleaning. Experts believed that a tourniquet can restrict blood flow and cause swelling, even damage the affected limb. That is the very reason why you should use a clean cloth to cover the wound when it is clean.

8. Actions To Avoid:

how to treat a snake bite-actions to avoid

There are a lot of recommendations on how to treat a snake bite step by step. But some of them are unproven and could actually worsen your situation. Here are some actions you must avoid:

  • Do not eat or drink anything unless advised by healthcare providers, particularly alcohol or caffeine. These things can make your heart rate go up and spread venom more quickly.
  • Do not try to suck the venom out of the bite by any ways, especially by your mouth. You may swallow some and poisoned yourself.
  • Do not apply ice or any other type of cooling on the bite. This method is believed that it is more likely to do harm than good.

As I said before, the number of death related to bee stings is higher than that due to snake bites. That is why you also should care about this problem and read the article 13 Home Remedies For Bee Stings Itching And Swelling as a way to avoid unfortunate consequences. The entire article is actually a full gathering of useful and natural tips that can help people know what the symptoms of bee stings are and what to do if you get bitten by a bee. All remedies revealed in this article are 100% based on nature ingredients and proven safe to use without bringing about any side effect, so there is nothing for you to worry about this.

This article has shown you 8 tips on how to treat a snake bite step by step that are very effective and useful. I hope it is helpful for you – readers of Vkool.com.  If this article is really good and if you think it should be made use by other people with the same problem, do share this article with those are still not know what to do when being bitten by a snake to make use together with them.

If you care about the article, we are open to welcome any discussion about the topic. One more thing, do not forget to leave your comments and feedbacks at the end of this post to let us know what you think. As an author of Vkool, I really appreciate your contribution and will respond all as soon as possible.

Related articles about some skin issues, including snake bites, how to deal with them, and how to improve skin health:

Home Remedies For Ant Bites Swelling:

Top 13 Home Remedies For Mosquito Bites On Toddlers:

11 Home Remedies For Spider Bites On legs, Arm, And Face:

Top 33 Common & Different Types Of Skin Infections In children:

How To Get Rid Of Itchy Skin Rash On Face:

Top 6 Natural Home Remedies For Skin Fungus On Legs & Other Parts:

Want More Content Like This In Your Inbox?

Join The Discussion

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Comments JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Advertising Disclosure

Displayed content is offered by businesses which have been compensated. There is a potential effect on how, what, and where products may appear. All effort is made into providing full transparency, not all available products or companies are highlighted. Published material is offered without any slant or bias no matter what affiliation there is with sponsorship or association.