Snake bite - What should you do ?

The hot weather has become the topic on everybody's lip. Of course, we all should be aware of the risk of dehydration owing to the hot and humid weather. Drink more water, avoid sunlight exposure especially during mid afternoon where the sun is on top of your head.

Apart from dehydration, there is another problem. The hot and humid also "tortures" the cold-blooded reptiles. The scorching sun forced the snakes to come out from their comfort zones - the bushes and search for colder shelter such as shady areain the resident compounds, schools etc. indirectly, this poses an imminent threat of snake bites for human beings. In fact, today news has reported that there were 730 snake bites since Jan 2016 in Malaysia.

Afraid not, most snake bites are not life-threatening. Most of the snakes are not poisonous. Usually, a snake bite won't kill you if immediate medical attention is given. However, a bite from a venomous snake could be deadly. 

How do we know if someone is bitten by a poisonous snake ?

The answer is it is very hard to tell. (don't hit me!). However, usually  a venomous snake bite will has less bleeding on the wound and the symptoms are more severe - causes someone to feel nauseated, numbness and suffer convulsions or become unconscious; whereas a non-poisonous snake bite causes more bleeding and more local reaction.









Overall, a snake bite will have quite significant pair of puncture marks, severe pain,  redness and swelling around the wound. Worse, you may be nauseated, vomiting , blurry vision, changes in the skin colour and increased sweating or even have convulsion.



Here are some first-aid guide if you or someone around you is bitten by a snake.

1. Reassure him/her, keep him/her calm and still (if you get nervous, the heart pump the blood faster, the venom may circulate faster in your blood).
2. Call the ambulance or send him/her to the hospital immediately depend on the severity (if the casualty is unconscious, ready to resuscitate him/her if breathing stops)
3. Usually the snake bite is on the legs, if that is the case, let the casualty lie down and keep the heart remains above the wounded part - eg put something as pillow for the casualty to lean on).
4. If possible, you can apply pressure above the wound with a bandage or cloth, immobilise the injury.

Here are some the reminders :

DO NOT try to slash the wound or suck out the venom. (I understand that some movie scene do illustrate these as the heroic acts in saving someone from dying from the poison. But, do not ever try it in the real world. You may poison yourself and even hurt the casualty more.)

Also, DO NOT apply tourniquet ( It may be used in the past, but it's proven not to do this anymore).

DO NOT try to catch  or disturb the snake. If can, DO recognise the appearance of the snake (the best way to snap a photo of it), this may help wth the treatment - allow medical practitioners to give the correct venom.


In short, BE CAREFUL and alert of any signs of presence of snakes.

If there is a snake bite, CALL the ambulance or SEND the casualty to the hospital as soon as possible (for those in Malaysia, send them to the govt hospital as they have the anti-venom) . Do NOT hesitate.









Source of information :
1. First Aid Manual , St John Ambulance, St Andrew's Ambulance Association and the British Red Cross

2. Guidelines for the Clinical Management of Snake bites in the South-East Asia Region. www.medbox.org/guidelines-for-the...snake-bites.../download.pdf

3. The news about snake bite in Malaysia. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/04/27/730-snake-bite-cases-since-jan-1/