Vipers are poisonous snakes representing an independent family. They inhabit almost the entire Earth, except Antarctica, Madagascar, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. Therefore, it will be important for readers to find out when and where a person may be threatened by a viper bite. We will also discuss the consequences of contact with a poisonous amphibian and the rules of first aid, because such information can be a good help for those traveling to nature.
A bit about the nature of vipers
Contrary to popular belief, vipers are not aggressive and do not even dream of attacking a person. On the contrary, when meeting with him, the first thing the viper tries to do is crawl away as far as possible.
But the habit of the mentioned reptiles to hide in hollows, grass or under bumps, waiting for prey, often leads to the fact that reckless people who find themselves in the forest disturb or frighten the snake, forcing it to defend itself. So the number of bitten people is growing, and, by the way, according to statistics, in 70% of cases the victim is the culprit.
The consequences of a viper bite for a person can be different, while a fatal outcome is recorded quite rarely. Poisoning often has a mild form - the disease manifests itself in the form of a small painful swelling at the site of the bite, which after a while passes by itself. But, unfortunately, serious problems caused by poisoning periodically arise. It all depends on where, whom and when the viper bit. We will talk about this in more detail.
What does a viper look like?
Viper common in the forests. It grows to 75 cm, has a gray-blue or black color. And her closest relative, living in flat areas, on dry slopes covered with shrubs, or in clay ravines, is a steppe viper - a lighter, brownish-gray with a contrasting zigzag strip on the back. Another representative of this family, incidentally, listed in the Red Book - Nikolsky's viper - is absolutely black. It belongs to the forest-steppe snakes.
As you can see, each natural zone has its own poisonous inhabitant. And, by the way, they all do not differ in special nobility and do not warn the traveler about their presence, unlike, for example, the beautiful and very dangerous African noisy viper. A bite, the consequence of which is not difficult to predict, can only be obtained from it after a loud hiss and formidable bloating of the body. And our "compatriots," frightened and deciding that danger is nearby, attack immediately, without any extra sounds.
Where can I meet a viper?
Going to nature in early spring or autumn, remember that at such a time of the year, vipers stay closer to their wintering place. Typically, these are:
- the edges of the swamps
- clearings
- Power lines
- forest edges
- garden plots with construction waste,
- dumps of land management works.
In the summer, snakes can be anywhere, however, during the day they most like places where you can bask in the sun (vipers are very thermophilic): the surface of the stones, the southern slope of the ravine or the sun's edge. By the way, for the same reason, they can creep up to your fire at night.
And so as not to have to consider the consequences of a viper’s bite later, the tourist should immediately take care of safety: put on high boots with thick soles, fill them with jeans trousers (the fabric of these trousers is quite dense, so it’s advisable to go on a trip in this outfit), arm yourself with a stick and with it, and not with your hands, to spread heaps of leaves and dry branches, rummage minks, hollow or throw stones out of the way. At night, you must shine a flashlight under your feet. And waking up in the morning on a halt, carefully check all the bags and shoes that remained outside the tent.
The consequences of a viper bite depend on the composition of its venom
What is the danger of viper venom? The fact is that for the most part it is hemo- and cytotoxic. That is, as a result of its action, a deep structural and functional change occurs in the blood cells or tissues, which causes their death. This effect is due to the huge amount of so-called necrotizing enzymes that make up the poison.
But neurotoxins in the viper venom are absent, due to which its effect on the nervous system is not observed. And the adder produces venom in much smaller quantities than its counterparts - aspids or pit snakes. True, for a person who has undergone a viper bite, the consequences can still be rather sad, especially if he already had problems with the cardiovascular system or the first aid was rendered to him incorrectly.
What determines the danger of a viper bite
Despite the fact that bites of vipers are recorded quite often, a fatal outcome does not always occur - the probability is less than 1% (by the way, among those who were stung by bees, wasps or hornets, there are much more dead). Nevertheless, this is not pleasant.
But what will be the consequences of a bite, depends on certain factors:
- The size of the viper. It was established that the larger the snake, the more poisonous glands it has, and, of course, the poison is released in large volumes.
- Weight and height of the victim. The larger the creature bitten by the snake, the less impact the poison will have. So, the consequences of a viper bite for a dog or child will be much more serious than for an adult. The secret lies in the fact that snake venom is faster and more fully absorbed into the body of the victim with a small volume and mass.
- Place of bite. It is believed that bites in the neck, shoulder and chest are more dangerous than in the human foot or animal paw.
- The state of health of the victim. If there is a heart ailment, there is a danger of shock, which can be triggered by panic and heart palpitations, quickly spreading poison throughout the body.
Why are some viper bites “dry”
The decisive role in the severity of the consequences of an ordinary viper bite is played by the amount of poison secreted by it. And this directly depends on the hunting habits of the amphibian. The viper preys only on live medium-sized prey: mice, lizards, sometimes moles. She does this swiftly, from an ambush, after which she expects the action of the poison. By the way, it should be noted that the snake spends it carefully, trying to keep something in reserve, if possible, therefore in some cases its bite for a person turns out to be completely harmless (in medicine it is called “dry”).
But, since it is immediately difficult to determine the amount of poison that has got into the wound, in any case, the victim should be given emergency care.
What does a viper bite look like?
It is important to know that the most toxic venom of the viper is in the spring, which means that you should be especially careful when going on a trip at this time of the year. In addition, the main consequences of a viper bite do not interfere.
- The bite site hurts a lot.
- The affected limb swells quickly and becomes purplish-cyanotic with dark spots.
- Chills, nausea, dizziness may appear.
- In some cases, an increase in temperature is observed.
- Blood pressure decreases.
- In case of untimely assistance in the area of the bite, tissue necrosis develops .
In severe cases, the consequences of a viper bite can be expressed in a short period of arousal of the patient, which is quickly replaced by drowsiness and apathy. The victim complains of a dry and bitter taste in the mouth, the pulse noticeably quickens, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness appear. In especially severe cases, collapse may develop. The functions of the kidneys and liver are impaired, and moist rales caused by congestion are heard in the lungs.
What to do when bitten by a viper
Let's deviate a little from the topic and remember how to behave if, after a walk, we suddenly find a tick on the body of a bloodsucker. What for? And then, that the actions of the victim from this insect and the victim of the viper in some way should be similar. Surprised? In vain. So, what consequences after a tick bite (in humans) can take place, we will not discuss - this is the topic of another article. Recall what needs to be done first. That's right, you need to detect the parasite as soon as possible and correctly (!) Remove it. The same should be done with a snakebite - it is very important to gain time and competently provide assistance.
Lay the victim so that the head is below body level - this will reduce the likelihood of impaired cerebral circulation. Remove all jewelry from the limb (it can swell a lot).
Press on the bite site from the sides, thus opening the wound, and for 15 minutes suck out the poison with your mouth, spitting it (for the person assisting, this is not dangerous). Disinfect the wound with alcohol or iodine.
Immobilize the affected limb with a splint or bandage. Give the patient a plentiful drink (but not coffee). Take him to a medical facility as soon as possible.
What absolutely can not be done
The consequences of a viper bite at all times scared people so much that to get rid of troubles, they came up with a lot of completely useless procedures that are not only not able to alleviate the patient’s condition, but can even do harm. Therefore, remember what you should not do with a snake bite.
- Never impose a tourniquet! It is useless, and besides, poison is already destructive on the body tissues, and if you add to this a tourniquet that interferes with blood circulation, you can achieve their necrosis within a few minutes. And after removing the tourniquet, the decay products resulting from this will aggravate the existing poisoning.
- Do not cauterize a bite spot! You will add a burn to an existing wound, and absolutely senseless.
- Do not cut the wound - it is useless, but the infection does not sleep.
- Do not give the patient alcohol - this will help the poison spread throughout the body even faster.
- Do not sprinkle the wound with earth, do not attach cobwebs or grass to it - except tetanus, you will not get anything from such procedures.