Bites and Stings

Snakes

• Most doctors agree that the best response is to rush the victim to a hospital emergency room. Do not try to remove poison from snakebites. Cutting and suctioning the bite can do more harm than good.
• Fear and panic aggravate snakebite reactions. Calm the victim as much as possible. Keep the victim in a reclining position to slow the spread of venom. If the bite is on a limb, keep the wound at or below the level of the heart.

Bees, Wasps, and Fire Ants

• Meat tenderizer relieves the pain of insect stings, but it must be applied quickly. Other options are ice or a paste made of baking soda.
• Honeybees are the only stinging insects that leave their stinger in the wound. Pulling it out will only squeeze more venom into the skin. Instead, scrape the stinger out with the blunt edge of a sterilized knife.
• Scratching an insect bite can cause infection. You can relieve itching with cold or hot compresses or by applying one of many over-the-counter anti-itching creams and ointments.

Scorpions

• A scorpion’s painful sting can produce:
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Shock
• A cold compress will ease some of the pain. Seek medical care in the event of a severe reaction.
• You can reduce the risk of being bitten if you shake out footwear and bedding before use.

Spiders

• Most spiders are harmless. Two species that present a serious problem are the black widow and the brown recluse.
  • The black widow has a shiny, fat, roundish abdomen with a red or orange hourglass marking on the underside.
  • The brown recluse ranges in color from dark brown to tan and has a fiddle-shaped mark from the eyes to the abdomen.
• A bite from one of these spiders is rarely fatal, but the effect can be painful. Disinfect the wound with rubbing alcohol, apply a cold compress, and get to a doctor as soon as possible.

Ticks

• Ticks are disease carriers that can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme’s disease. The chance of catching a disease from an infected tick is greater the longer the tick remains attached, so check your skin often.
• A tick usually can be dislodged with a few drops of turpentine or by covering it with heavy oil or petroleum jelly. If it hasn’t backed out in 30 minutes, gently remove it with tweezers. Take care not to crush the tick, and make sure you remove all the parts of the head. Scrub the area with soap and water for five minutes.

Remember ... If you suffer violent allergic reactions to insect stings, wear an allergy identification tag and carry a physician-prescribed kit with antihistamines and a syringe filled with epinephrine.