14 DAY TRIAL // A new review in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (JAAOS) says that if you ever get bitten by a snake, the best you can do is hurry up to the closest hospital, because current treatments including new medications and even surgery (if necessary) are far more effective that what you could do on your own.
Adam W. Anz, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said that “previous generations of antivenin medications were notorious for causing negative systemic reactions.
“But the antivenins we have available today can not only help avoid long-term damage from the snake venom, but they can also prevent the need for more invasive medical treatment.”
However you can avoid snakebites if you get informed about the kinds of environments where people are likely to encounter snakes, like wooded areas with deep piles of leaves or stacks of wood are frequently home to snakes.
Also, if you ever run into a snake, get away from it; don't try to pick it up or make it feel threatened in any way, because this is one of the fastest way to get bitten.
Well, if you do get bitten, you will most likely feel pain, the area of the bite can get swollen and bruised, and you can experience an irregular heartbeat, paralysis and muscle twitching.
Normally, surgery is not needed, unless of course, you are really unlucky and you suffer from severe swelling that compromises the blood flow.
But this is usually a decision made by an orthopedic surgeon Dr. Anz said and added that they “are experts in regard to treating the extremities, and the hands and feet are the parts of the body most often bitten by snakes.
"This is why it is important for orthopedic surgeons and the public to know about the effects of venom and the best ways to treat snakebites."
So if you get bitten by a snake, there are some steps you need to remember: identify it or try to take a photo of it and bring it to the hospital, if you can, and get away from it.
Do not try to suck out the venom and do not attempt to apply a tourniquet, you might actually make it worse.
Try to immobilize the affected body part and remove all rings or other restrictive jewelry from the affected limb, as snakebites tend to swell.
And instead of waiting for the symptoms listed above, go to the nearest hospital, as fast as you can!
Did you know that nearly 45,000 snakebite injuries are reported annually in the United States, and 70 to 80 percent of them occur in males?
Also over half of snakebites are to the hand(s), and most of them result from intentional exposure, whether in a professional (e.g., snake handling) or nonprofessional context (e.g., playing with snakes in the wild).
Finally, in most hand injuries caused by snakebites, alcohol consumption is involved, and it is that risky behavior that comes from it that is responsible for the bites.