There are over 160 species of snakes in China, including more than 50 venomous snakes, which pose a significant threat to human and animal life. Bites can lead to death. Snake bites are more common in spring and autumn, especially in July, August, and September each year, which are the peak periods of snake activity. They like to live and move in shady or densely vegetated places such as tree shade, grass, and streams. Therefore, when people travel or engage in outdoor activities, they should pay attention to preventing snake bites from occurring.
When you are accidentally bitten by a snake, please do not panic, remain calm, do not run, and quickly take self rescue measures. Firstly, determine whether there is a venomous snake or a non venomous snake bite, which can be judged by appearance, tooth marks, and other methods. Most venomous snakes have triangular heads, colorful patterns on their bodies, paired fangs on their upper jaws, and short and thick tails. The non-toxic snake head is mostly circular, and the body color is relatively monotonous. From the bite marks, it can be seen that after being bitten by a venomous snake, there is a large and deep pair of teeth marks, some of which are three or four teeth marks. Most venomous snakes do not have bite marks, or have two rows of small bite marks. Once it is determined that there is a venomous snake bite, we need to keep the injured limb immobilized and droop to slow down the absorption of toxins. Do not use your mouth to suck out blood from the wound, gently squeeze the wound, rinse the wound with clean water, and use local materials such as shoelaces, towels, and clothes to tear into cloth strips. Tie them 5-10 cm proximal to the injured limb or at the base of the injured finger (toe) to reduce the reflux of veins and lymphatic fluid, thereby temporarily preventing the absorption of snake venom. When conditions permit, apply ice cubes to the injured limb while tying it up, causing blood and lymphatic vessels to contract and slow down the absorption of snake venom. Relax for 2-3 minutes every 10 minutes and promptly deliver it to the hospital for thorough debridement, making it easier for residual snake venom to flow out. At the same time, with the assistance of traditional Chinese medicine therapy, choose suitable snake pills, heat boiling water to make a paste, apply it around the wound and 3-4 cm above the swollen upper end of the limbs, and take snake pills orally to inhibit the effect of venom.
With the development of science, China has also developed various anti snake venom sera to neutralize toxins targeting different snake venoms. At present, it has become the preferred specific drug for treating snake venom bites, and the early and sufficient application of anti snake venom serum is advocated. Before using snake venom serum, an allergy test should be conducted. Those who are negative can be injected directly, while those who are positive need desensitization treatment. For deeper and contaminated wounds, tetanus antitoxin injection is also necessary to prevent infection of the wound. The occurrence of snake bites is crucial for prevention. When you are playing in the wild, working in the fields, or living in dark and damp farmhouses, especially when walking in deep mountains, forests, grasslands, or places where flower buds gather, it is best to use a stick to clear the way and startle the snake. At the same time, you should wear shoes, socks, and long sleeved clothes. When walking at night, you should wear lighting tools. If you accidentally bite, do first aid on site and quickly go to the hospital for scientific treatment.