2023-08-20 00:55:26
saturated nurse
ILLUSTRACIN: ULISES CULEBRO
Updated Sunday, August 20, 2023 – 00:55
Guide to know how to act in the event of a snake bite or a wasp or centipede sting
Illustration of ULISES CULEBRO
We tend to associate vacations and summer with the beach, but this is not always the case. Many Spaniards decide to spend their rest days in rural houses or campsites, away from crowded beaches and enjoying the forests and meadows that the interior of the peninsula offers us. A very interesting option but one that, like the beaches, is not exempt from dangers that can spoil that relaxing day in the countryside.
Nettle sting
Both the edges of the leaves and the stems of these herbaceous plants have stinging hairs They act like little needles. These hairs are blister-shaped, filled with an irritating liquid, and end in a sharp point. Upon contact with the skin, the sharp part causes a small perforation, the blister breaks and spills the content on that perforation.
This liquid is composed mainly of histamine and formic acid, which will cause intense hives accompanied by the appearance of hives and a burning sensation.
How should we act?
The reaction caused by a nettle sting is as annoying and intense as it is brief, that’s the good part, it will last for a short time. To alleviate the symptoms we will drop fresh water on the area where we have been bitten, since formic acid is soluble in water, we will avoid scratching and we will apply cold compresses or ice wrapped in a cloth for a few minutes.
Popular culture recommends applying plants such as mint, sage or sack flower, and it usually helps, although with variable results and without solid scientific evidence in this regard. It will not harm us and it may help us.
Snake bite
The snakes that you can find on that walk through the countryside have no interest in attacking you, it is best to let them go on their way, but if they bite you Do not be alarmed. No native species of the Iberian Peninsula has a lethal bite for humans, except in specific cases in which the person who has suffered from certain pathologies.
But that its bite is not lethal does not mean that it is not poisonous, and it is that of the thirteen species of snakes that exist in the peninsula, five are poisonous: the aspid viper, the Cantabrian and the snout, and the bastard snake and the cogulla.
The poison generally acts at the blood level, altering the coagulation of our blood, causing it to clot. The symptoms that we will feel are: intense pain in the area of the bite, burning, swelling and discoloration of the skin.
How should we act?
If we have been bitten by a poisonous snake, we must go to a medical center to receive the corresponding antidote and treatment. We will call the emergency services to communicate what happened and, at most, we will give the victim water or paracetamol if the pain is very acute. We will never make a tourniquet or cut in the area of the bite to remove the venom, nor will we apply ice to the area or feed the victim as all of this can be harmful.
bee or bee sting
The bite of one of these insects does not usually pose a great danger, unless the victim is allergic to its poison or a whole swarm attacks us. To avoid being their target, it is not advisable to eat fruit outdoors or use perfumes, nor to walk near beehives or wasp nests.
How should we act?
If the victim is allergic, they will most likely carry a pre-filled adrenaline pen, which they should use as directed by the allergy clinic nurse. If it is not and a normal reaction is triggered, the most frequent, we will wash the sting area with water and soap and we will apply cold. If the stinger has stuck, we will remove it with the help of tweezers.
centipede bite
The scolopendra bite, colloquially known as a centipede, is really painful. It is not lethal, far from it, but there are several cases in which the victim has come to lose consciousness due to the severe pain caused by her poison. If you want to avoid being bitten, be especially careful in wet and stony areas.
How should we act?
To lower the inflammation we will apply cold in the area, and to calm the pain we will take some analgesic usual. If the symptoms in the bite area worsen or do not improve over the hours, we will visit a medical center.
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