Rattlesnake Bite

Snake bite statistics reveal that approximately 8000 cases of snakebites are reported in the United States every year, from which around 75 percent are attributed to rattlesnakes alone. Though the number of deaths caused by rattlesnake bites is quite small, the bite can turn out to be immensely painful, and, at times, even cause irreparable damage to the tissue. The rattlesnake habitat, spanning both Americas, is home to 30 species of rattlesnakes. If you reside in this area, your chances of encountering this venomous snake species increase by a significant extent.

Rattlesnake Bite Symptoms

The most obvious symptoms of being bitten by a rattlesnake are the marks of its fangs on the skin, along with sharp pain in this area. One might also notice discoloration and slight swelling in the region surrounding the wound. The person is also likely to experience bleeding from the wound caused by the snakebite. Slowly, he will start experiencing difficulty in breathing, drooping eyelids and blurred vision. The blood pressure of the victim will also start falling. The person will also experience nausea and vomiting. Along with the pain, the victim may also experience numbness and tingling sensation in the affected region. An abnormal rise in pulse rate may also be experienced. Other than these symptoms, the victim will also complain of thirst, tiredness and weakness.

Effects of Rattlesnake Bite

Rattlesnakes are born with fully functional fangs, with the ability of delivering a lethal dose of venom. In fact, the venom of young rattlesnakes is much more toxic than that of their adult counterparts. Most of the rattlesnake species have hemotoxic venom. When this venom is injected, the hemotoxic elements in it start damaging the tissue, and hamper the circulatory system by destroying the blood cells and causing internal hemorrhage. Rattlesnake venom also contains neurotoxic elements, which damage the nervous system and affect the respiratory system, eventually resulting in death of the individual.

How to Cure a Rattlesnake Bite?

It is not quite possible to treat rattlesnake bites on your own, as it requires proper medical help, including administration of anti-venom/anti-venin, attending to the wound caused by fangs, and treating the underlying symptoms of the snakebite. Administering anti-venin or anti-venom helps in treating the damage induced upon the tissues or blood-clotting disorders associated with it. However, there may arise circumstances wherein medical help may take some time, and you might have to resort to first aid to keep the situation under control.

First Aid
The foremost thing to do is to keep the patient calm and composed, as unnecessary exertion can stimulate the circulation of venom and worsen the problem. The affected part should be always kept lower than the level of heart. Rings, bracelets, shoes or any such objects which may hinder the blood flow should be ideally removed. Even if the individual feels a burning sensation in the affected area, you should not use ice, as it will only worsen the situation. You can tie a compression bandage in order to restrict the flow of venom, however, you need to make sure that you don't tie it as tight as to cut off the flow of blood.

In most of the cases, the effects start surfacing within a few minutes after the bite, but in some cases it may take hours before they start surfacing. This will entirely depend on the amount of venom injected. The amount of venom injected in measured on the scale of 0 (no venom injected) to 5 (venom inject is enough to kill the individual). Rattlesnakes generally bite when they feel threatened, and you going anywhere around them is bound to make them take a defensive stance and attack you. That being said, avoiding places wherein you are likely to encounter a rattlesnake is the best possible option in the very first place.