FEAR OF SNAKES
& SNAKE BITES
In the previous two Posts, we saw various aspects of Fear, Fearlessness and Courage.
There are many justified and unjustified fears in us. We must eliminate our unjustified fears totally and we must channel our justified fears into positive, curative and preventive actions. We will deal with these aspects in this and future Blog Posts.
One of the commonest, justified fears is fear of snakes. Are snakes, specifically venomous snakes, our friends or foes? Neither. They live their life in their own predictable manner and are not particularly inimical to human beings. Why are we then so much afraid of snakes?
· Many snakes are highly venomous and can easily kill us with their venom.
· We walk with feet on the ground and eyes in the face. But snakes crawl on the ground. This gives them a huge advantage in biting us, even unseen by us, injecting their venom into us in split seconds and getting away. Our eyes at the top of our face are really not effective in assisting our feet in avoiding venomous snakes.
· Venomous snakes can be very FAST.
· Snake Venom is deadly and fast in circulating in our system. It does not give sufficient time for ANTI VENOM treatment.
· Over 1 lakh people die of snake bites every year. People who do not die but are otherwise affected badly by the venom for life are many.
· Anti venom treatment is not available at all places. The nearest place where treatment is available may be hours away – and this period is crucial in many cases.
· Huge information gap exists on where treatment is available at your particular place! Even as you read this – please ponder on two aspects. Do you know where anti venom treatment is available nearest to you? Please do get to know!
· Many Medics are not fully conversant with the correct procedure of anti-venom treatment for different types of venom.
· People in snake infested places are mostly unaware of the precautionary, preventive and curative measures. Our Education tells us of distant stars but not of the nearest snakes! Even when it tells us of snakes, it tells us of how snakes are made, how they crawl, how they eat etc – but not how we must guard against venomous snake bites!!
· Venomous snakes are very common near even dense human habitations. There are no wild animals in New York, New Delhi or London – but there are venomous snakes in all these cities. If we have to co-habit with venomous snakes, as we are doing, but, which I consider unwise, the next best thing is – to know all the preventive and curative measures and keep them handy and ready.
In each country, different types of venomous snakes are seen. In India, 4 MAIN types of venomous snakes are common.
BIG FOUR – INDIAN SNAKES
- Indian Cobra (Naja naja), the most famous of Indian snakes.
- Common Krait,Bungarus caeruleus
- Russel’s viper, Daboia russelii.
- Saw-scaled viper, Echis carinatus.
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah) is not considered a member of the Big Four and it lives mostly in dense jungles without human contact. But this can inject larger quantities of a potent venom, and is deadlier than the Big Four.
The Big four eat mice and other rodents whereas King Cobra eats other snakes also. The Big Four, are very common near human habitations, where rodent population is more. These snakes are mainly nocturnal, moving at night. Most people get bitten by snakes at night when they step on them.
PREVENTION &
PRECAUTIONS
1. PREVENTION & PRECAUTION are infinitely better than first aid and treatment.
2. KNOW THE SNAKES : Get to know how poisonous snakes of your place look like and behave. If you don’t know – safely assume each snake you see as poisonous.
3. SNAKE FOOD : Snakes are attracted to rodents, mice, frogs etc, which is their food. Keep such snake food off from your home and nearby places – to keep the snakes off. Use effective Rat poison to kill the snake food – after ensuring to keep children and human food away from such poison.
4. YOUR HOME : Ensure that there are no hiding places for snakes or for snake food in your home / compound. Do not store sticks, bricks, stones or unfrequented sheds in a way that make it convenient for snakes to hide and for rodents and mice to reside.
5. HOLES : Low lying holes in compound / other walls provide entry points to snakes into the house. Guard them with protective coverings or, close them, if they are of no use.
6. WEAPONS TO KILL : Keep long, strong sticks / rods / other useful weapon handy – to deal with a snake, if one enters your home or compound.
7. CHILDREN : Sensitize Children about snakes and ensure they do not go near / meddle with snakes. Tell them how to back off from snakes safely.
8. DARKNESS COMPANION : Carry a powerful Torch / Light – when you move in darkness. If electricity failures occur in your place – keep a torch with you always.
9. MOVING IN JUNGLES / HILLS : People who frequent Jungles, other wilderness spots, and those who camp, hike, picnic, or live in snake-inhabited areas, must be very careful and follow all these precautions invariably.
10. KEEP EYES ON GROUND: Remember, snakes move on ground. Keep eyes there and walk with caution - in snake infested areas.
11. WHEN YOU SPOT A SNAKE : If you spot a snake - leave it alone. Move away from it. It will return back to its own environment quickly. It is as much afraid as you are. Do not try to approach it, catch it, or kill it - if you do not know how to do it and if your reflexes are slow. Many people get bitten while killing or catching venomous snakes.
12. WHAT TO WEAR : Wear rough protective Gear. Wear long, thick pants, like Denim Zeans, and boots with thick uppers, taller than the ankle. These do slow down or even avoid venomous bites.
13. CLEANING OPERATIONS : If you are clearing an area having bushes, grass etc in areas having snakes, wear boots and heavy gloves. Also work along with at least one more person.
14. PLACES TO AVOID : Avoid tall brush and deep, dark crevices. Snakes hide in such places. Some venomous snakes can also be on trees for food, though these are not their natural habitat. Keep hands and feet out of areas you can't see. Don't pick up rocks or firewood unless you are out of a snake's striking distance. (A snake can strike half its length.)
15. FLOODS : During floods, storms and heavy rains, water is flowing heavily every where. Poisonous snakes are forced to leave their habitat at such times and come out and may be flowing in such waters. Be careful to walk in such flood waters and keep away if you see such snakes.
16. MAKE NOISE : Make tuck, tuck, tuck Noise with your stick and create heavy vibrations with it and with your boots on the ground. This scares away snakes. Snakes especially perceive vibrations and move away from threatening vibrations. Use your stick to move objects slowly and see what is behind such objects, before handling them.
17. SNAKES DON’T MAKE NOISE : Do not expect snakes to make noises for you to hear and get away from them. It is all your problem – to get away from them.
18. WHEN DO THEY BITE: Snakes do not usually bite unless cornered, handled or stepped on. They usually go away from you. But, some snakes, some times, can be in bad moods or totally unafraid and can attack.
19. WHEN TO KILL : If a snake enters your house and is posing instant threat to you or family members, or if, on a road or elsewhere, a snake shows distinct signs of attacking you, the question is who should survive – you or the snake!. If there is a professional snake catcher around, call him. If not, who should survive is the question. You should!! Courage and caution must be your first weapons. Remain totally unafraid and be very, very agile. Venomous snakes are fast – but you can be faster and more tactical.
20. HOW TO KILL : Keep your eyes on the snake and its movements. Use a long-handled thick stick (wood or iron) to strike it on the back of the snake's head. Be fast, be accurate and hit many times in quick succession – till it is totally dead. Always keep your distance from it till it is dead. Hit the head, or as near the head as possible on the ground. No use hitting the tail and making the snake to fight back. Courage, Coolness and Quickness are the watchwords. If there are two of you, both can strike from opposite angles. No snake, however fast it is, can handle two human beings.
21. DEAL WITH THE DEAD : Once a snake is killed – do not touch it – it can reflexively bite even after death up to an hour. Dispose off by burning it. Likewise, after you kill rodents, mice etc, dispose them of by burning. Do not leave dead carcasses attracting other insects, animals etc.
22. ANTI VENOM TREATMENT CENTRES : Keep the telephone number of the nearest anti-venom treatment center and ambulance on your cell phone always. If there is none at present – insist from your local authorities to create such call numbers for both First aid and anti-venom treatment centres and make it known to all the people.
23. KEEP EYES AT DISTANCE : Some cobras are known to spit venom into the eyes of Potential aggressors like humans. Hence, keep your eyes and face at sufficient distance from their line of spitting.
FIRST AID
IF YOU / SOME ONE IS BITTEN
1. PHONE UP FIRST: Call up the telephone number of the nearest Anti venom centre /squad at your place, within seconds of a venomous snake bite. Do not delay.
2. KEEP LOWER THAN HEART LEVEL : Do not elevate the place (organ) where you are bitten. Keep the bite below the level of the heart.
3. WASH, IMMOBOLIZE & GET HELP: Wash the area with warm water and soap. IMMOBILIZE the area. Get Medical help Fast.
4. LOOSEN EXTREMITIES OF BITTEN ORGAN: Remove constricting clothing and jewelry (Watches, bracelets, rings, gloves, or shoes) that may restrict circulation in the affected organ’s extremity. The area may swell and constricting items will cause tissue death.
5. HOW TO WRAP : Wrap with an elastic pressure bandage. Start from the point closest to the heart and wrap towards the fingers or toes. keep the bite lower than the heart. Follow the first aid measures till the anti venom squad arrives or till the patient is transported there.
6. CALM & MOTIONLESS: Ensure that the bitten person remains cool, calm and without unnecessary movements. Don’t panic at all. Blood flow should not be increased by such movements. The bitten part especially should not be moved much. Vigorous shaking of that organ can cause blood flow to increase quickly and cause serious complications. A bite victim preferably should not walk but lie still. If he has to move, he must move slowly.
7. NO CUTTING & SUCKING! Cutting into the wound can create infections.
8. NO ELECTRIC SHOCKS : These are not proved effective.
9. WHO SHOULD KILL: If the snake has to be killed, preferably some one other than bite victim may kill it – as the effort to kill the snake itself will increase blood flow from the bite wound causing serious complications.
10. DEAD SNAKE: Bring the dead snake to the hospital for identification, if possible. But, be careful, dead snakes can reflexively bite for up to an hour.
11. USE CELL PHONE / CAMERA: Take a picture of the snake with your cell phone / camera. It helps doctors to identify it and give appropriate treatment. Some times, it could be a non poisonous snake – in which case, the patient’s fear is immediately removed.
12. Else try to remember its essential features of the snake – and tell doctors. They can often identify the snake just from the wound – but not always.
13. ENSURE BREATHING : If the victim is not breathing, try to restore breathing.
14. BANDAGE – HOW: A bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, helps to slow venom. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.
15. SUCTION DEVICES HELP: A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits. A rubber bulb, breast pump or heated jar are all preferable to mouth suction. Mouth suction has obvious risks for the person doing the sucking, if he has open mouth sores. If you still do it, do not swallow the venom-spit it out.
16. SNAKE BITE KITS : Read their instructions, and use the kits correctly as per instructions given. Else, they may do harm. If the area under the bandage / tourniquet swells, move the tourniquet two to four inches above where you first placed it.
17. NO COLD OR ICE COMPRESSES: These do not help much but may damage the tissue.
18. NO FOOD / ALCOHOL: Do not give the victim food or alcoholic beverages. The victim may have small sips of water if he or she is conscious and is able to drink without choking or vomiting.
SYMPTOMS
OF POISONOUS SNAKE BITES
There are varied symptoms of snakebites. Anyone / multiple symptoms can occur according to the type of snakebite.
COBRA /KRAIT BITE : Constitutional symptoms are more prominent than local pain and swelling. (i) General intoxication (ii) a sense of creeping paralysis beginning in the legs and ascending to the head by way of trunk (iii) Paralysis of the muscles of the eyelids (iv) staggering gait (v) non-coordination of speech (vi) paralysis of the limbs (vii) drooping of the head and (viii) paralysis of all voluntary muscles (ix) Nausea and vomiting (x) increasing difficulty in breathing till it finally stops. (xi) In the case of Krait bite, in addition, there are convulsions and violent abdominal pains.
RUSSEL’S / SAW SCALED VIPER : Local symptoms are more and severe – like (i) intense and persistent pain (ii) swelling at the site of the bite (iii) shock (iv) consumption coagulopathy, (v) spontaneous hemorrhages’ in the organs and tissues (vi) acute necrosis leading to death (vii) constant oozing of blood from the bite punctures (viii) Hemorrhages, both external and internal (ix) pain, tenderness and vomiting (x) Death due to heart failure, but there may not be paralysis.
The venoms acts very rapidly. Hence, unless the absorption of venom into the circulation is retarded by ligation, the anti-snake-venom-serum does not get a fair chance to neutralize the venom and save the victim.
Absence of distinct fang punctures and failure of local pain, swelling, numbness or weakness to appear within 20 minutes are strong evidence against snake venom poisoning.
TREATMENT
· Even if the snake bite is non-poisonous, medical help should be sought and a tetanus shot may be required. Even a non poisonous bite can cause ill health, rashes etc. So, surely – see the Doctor.
· Leave it to the Expert Medico. Some News reveal that in some countries, even in Medical colleges / centres, anti snake venom treatment is not either included in syllabus or not dealt with, with due importance. This should change.
· There are different methods of treatment – as we see from the Internet – depending on the amount of venom in blood stream, time elapsed, place of bite and so on. Anti venom serum treatment is of course the most widely used one.
- Antivenin is derived from antibodies created in a horse's blood serum when the animal is injected with snake venom. Some persons may develop an adverse reaction to it.
- Antivenins have been in use for decades and are the effective treatment for snake bites. There are sometimes reactions to them, but then you're treating a life-threatening situation. It's clearly a case of weighing the risks versus the benefits.
- Some times, even a venomous snake bite – may not have released any venom at all – or very low levels of venom. Either the snake has released the venom on the pants or boots or has released it prematurely.
- Some experts emphasize that though antivenin can effectively save life, there is no guarantee that it can reverse damage already done. Some patients may later require skin grafts or other treatment. This is one compelling reason to seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a snake bite – and also seek further treatment later for damages already done by the poison.
- There are effective Native herbal treatments known to many people. Snake charmers and catchers (like snake Murugan of Coimbatore, India) are known to be bitten several times in their life by poisonous snakes but treat themselves with herbal roots very safely and effectively. Modern science must research on such easier, safer herbal treatments. In this aspect, it seems to be acting almost UNSCIENTIFICALLY BLIND.
- If such quick, effective herbal roots / medicines are easily available – we may never be afraid of snakes, venomous or non-venomous. We may in fact love them all.
- As always – this Blog will be highly thankful for all readers’ suggestions, improvements and CORRECTIONS, if any. If you feel, this post is informative, please do tell others.
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