Overview
Snakebite is a medical emergency and a serious rural health problem in India, where bites from cobras, kraits, vipers and other snakes cause many deaths and disabilities each year. Not all bites inject venom, but there is no safe way to tell at home, so every bite must be treated as dangerous. The life-saving steps are to keep the person calm and still, remove tight items, and reach a hospital with anti-venom as fast as possible. Traditional first aid like cutting, sucking or tourniquets does harm.
Symptoms
- Fang marks, pain and swelling at the bite
- Swelling spreading up the limb
- Drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Bleeding from the gums, wound or in the urine
When to see a doctor
Treat every snakebite as an emergency — go to a hospital with anti-venom immediately. Keep the person calm and the bitten limb still; do not cut, suck, or tie a tourniquet.
Emergency — call 108 or go to the nearest hospital
- Any snakebite — call 108 and reach a hospital with anti-venom at once, even if there is little pain or swelling at first
Causes
Venom injected by a snakebite. Bites often happen during farming, walking at night, or in the monsoon when snakes are more active.