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# Stings and Bites
(IMG) Venomous snake
Do not cut open a bite or sting or try to suck out the poison. Also,
tourniquets will not stop the spread of poisons from stings or bites,
but will cause serious harm.
Most bites and stings are painful but not dangerous, and even deadly
creatures do not usually inject enough venom to kill. Stay calm and
watch the bitten part. If there are no problems or if problems
improve after a few hours (depending on the creature) there is likely
nothing to worry about. Because children are small, the venom can
affect them and do more harm, so they may need more attention.
## Snake bites
* Move away from the snake. Some snakes can still bite for a few
minutes even after they are dead.
* Remove jewelry or clothes near the bite because the body may
swell.
* Keep the bitten part of the body below the heart. *Then keep
that body part still* by putting on a splint or sling. Using the
muscles spreads the poison.
* Gently clean the wound. Do not rub it.
* For most snakes, or if you do not know what type it was, watch
and wait for a few hours. If there is little or no swelling, pain,
or redness, there is no problem. Danger signs include severe
swelling or pain, drowsiness, droopy eyelids, dizziness, weakness,
nausea, or bleeding from the mouth or nose.
Ask the person to swish water in the mouth and spit in a
light-colored bowl. If the spit is pink or visibly bloody, the gums
are bleeding. This is a danger sign.
For these snakes, wrap the bitten area tightly:
* Coral snakes
* Mambas
* South American rattlesnakes
* Sea snakes
* Most cobras--the ones that cause damage throughout the whole
body.
(IMG) Wrap tightly
(IMG) Wrap tightly, but not too tightly
Wrap tight--to stop the spread of poison, but not so tight that you
cut off blood flow. Feel for a pulse under the wrapping on the top of
the foot.
(IMG) Use a splint
Use a splint to keep the limb from moving.
Most vipers and some cobras harm the area near where they bite but do
not cause problems throughout the rest of the body. For these
snakes, do not wrap the bite.
For many poisonous snakes there is an antivenom that can help. If
you can get to medical help, describe the snake as well as you can so
the right antivenom is used. If possible, stock your medicine kit
with snake antivenom for the snakes common in your area before
emergencies happen.
(IMG) Wash eyes
For spitting cobra venom in the eye: flush with a lot of water. If
you have no water, milk or beer can be used. Do not use strong
irritating chemicals.
Pythons and boas are not poisonous, but their bites can cause severe
skin infections. Watch the wound and if there are signs of
infection--increasing redness, heat, pain, swelling, bad smell or
pus--treat it as an infected wound. Occasionally these snakes cause
crush injuries by squeezing a person.
If the bite mark shows fangs, the snake is venomous. If there are no
fang marks, it is less likely that the snake is poisonous, but it
still could be.
## Spiders and scorpions
(IMG) Spiders
(IMG) Scorpions
Although they may hurt a lot, most spider bites and scorpion stings
do not cause serious or lasting harm. Keep the bitten part still and
use ice or cold water to relieve pain. Do not cut open the bite or
use a tourniquet or bandage. Heat does not help, but keeping still
does.
If you know the spider or scorpion is a deadly variety, or, if after
the bite or sting there are signs of problems such as: stomachache,
itching, sweating, and difficulty breathing, then get medical help.
There may be an antivenom.
For Black Widow spider bites or scorpion stings, you can give
diazepam on the way to prevent muscle spasms and calm the person.
(DIR) medicines for anxiety
## Bees and wasps
After a sting, check if a stinger was left in the skin and remove it
as soon as possible. The area around the sting may get red, swollen
and painful. Putting a paste made with baking soda and water, or
something cold on the stung area, will help with the swelling and
pain.
Severe allergy to bee or wasp stings is rare, but can be deadly. See
information about signs and treatment of severe allergy.
(DIR) bee allergy
## Ticks
A bite from a tick can spread many dangerous infections. Check your
body well after walking where ticks are common. To remove a tick
with tweezers, grasp the tick as close as possible to where its mouth
is stuck to the skin. Pull it out gently but firmly so that its head
does not remain under the skin. Burn the removed tick with a match
or kill it with alcohol, but try not to touch it.
## Fish and jellyfish
(IMG) Jellyfish
Get away from jellyfish and scrape off any tentacles. Use seawater
to wash. For stinging fish, remove any spines with tweezers or
pliers.
Immerse the limb in hot water for 20 minutes to relieve pain, but
make sure it is not burning hot. This may work better for stinging
fish than for jellies.
There are many local remedies but they do not work for all fish or
jellyfish. For example, box jellyfish (sea wasp) stings are helped
by washing with vinegar. But vinegar makes the stings of other
jellyfish worse. Papaya or meat tenderizer is a well-known home
remedy for jellyfish stings but it does not seem to work for all
jellyfish and sometimes makes the pain worse.
Allow the person to use and move their limbs-unlike with snake and
spider bites, keeping still does not help. Get medical help if there
are problems breathing or other signs get worse.
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