3 hours agoAuthor: Sandeep Singh
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During the rainy season, due to water filling in burrows and changes in temperature, creatures like snakes come out of their burrows and enter people’s houses in search of a safe place for themselves. This is the reason why incidents of snake bites increase during the rainy season.
People who live on the ground floor in forest, rural, hilly or urban areas are at the highest risk of snakebite. In case of snakebite, immediate treatment is required. Even a slight delay in this can be fatal.
Recently MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy expressed concern about this in the Parliament. He said that every year 30 to 40 lakh people are bitten by snakes in the country, out of which more than 50 thousand people die. Apart from this, many cases of snakebite are not even reported. Incidents of snakebite are more in villages.
Therefore, in this important news, we will talk about how we can avoid snake bites. Also, we will know that-
- What kind of precautions should be taken during the rainy season?
- What can be done as first aid in case of snake bite?
Expert:
Lakhan Lal Malviya, Snake Expert (Bhopal)
Dr. Trishala Singhvi, Consultant, Critical Care, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (Indore)
Question: Which snake bite cases are highest in India?
answer- About 90% of snakebite cases in India are caused by these four snakes.
- Krait
- Indian Cobra
- Russell Viper
- Saw Scaled Viper
Snake expert Lakhan Lal Malviya says that there are about 3 thousand species of snakes in the world. Out of these, 725 species are poisonous. Among these 725 poisonous species of snakes, there are 250 species of snakes whose bite can cause death of a person within a short time.
There are about 300 species of snakes found in India. Of these, only about 25% snakes are poisonous.
Question: How can we identify a snake bite?
answer- Dr. Trishala Singhvi explains that snake venom is usually divided into two parts. Neurotoxic and hemotoxic.
Neurotoxic poisons affect our brain and nervous system. The nervous system controls many vital functions of our body, including walking, speaking and other activities.
Whereas hemotoxic poison affects the body functions related to blood and heart. In this, the victim’s body bleeds. Snakes like cobra and krait have neurotoxic poison. The symptoms of each snake bite can be different.
Understand from the graphic given below what kind of symptoms can be seen due to snake bite.
The symptoms of a snake bite depend on the type of snake that bit you.
Question: What measures can be taken to prevent snakes from entering the house during the rainy season?
answer- Snake expert Lakhan Lal Malviya says that it is common for snakes to come out during the rainy season. But there are some measures that can be adopted to reduce the chances of snakes entering the house.
Understand this from the graphic given below.
Question: What should be done as first aid in case of snake bite?
answer- You can adopt these measures as first aid in case of snake bite. Such as-
- The victim should be kept lying straight because movement in the body can spread the poison.
- When a snake bites, the poison does not spread in the body immediately. Its medical treatment is possible. Therefore, console the victim.
- Remove all jewellery from the body of the victim such as ring, anklet, chain, bangle, bracelet, watch or shoes-slippers.
- Keep trying to ensure that the victim does not become unconscious.
- If the snake has bitten the victim’s hand, then keep it hanging downwards. By doing this, the poison will take time to reach the heart.
- If the snake has bitten a person’s leg, then hang the leg downwards from the bed.
- Do not allow the body part which has been bitten by the snake to move or walk because the more that body part moves, the more the poison will spread in the body.
- Wash the snake bitten area with soap and clean water.
- If there is pain due to snake bite then there is no way to do it
- After snake bite, the victim should get medical treatment as soon as possible.
- Try to immediately take the patient to the nearest community health centre or district hospital.
Question- What is the treatment for snakebite?
answer- Dr. Trishala Singhvi explains that the treatment of snakebite depends on which snake has bitten the victim. If no one has seen the snake, then it becomes very difficult to find out which species the snake belongs to. In such a situation, treatment becomes challenging.
In most such cases, doctors pay attention to the snake bite marks and the symptoms of the victim.
Neurotoxic poison is found in snakes like krait, whose bite causes paralysis, lung collapse, breathlessness, unconsciousness in the body. In most such cases, ventilator and artificial oxygen are required. It is worth noting that neurotoxic poison has an immediate effect. It should be treated as soon as possible.
While hemotoxic poison causes swelling, increased pain in the upper limbs, blood clotting and pain along with muscle stiffness. Hemotoxic poison spreads slowly in the body.
Question: Which states of India have the highest number of snakebite cases?
answer- In India, most cases of snakebite come from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Telangana.
