Warning Signs Of A Venomous Snake Bite

Nausea And Vomiting

The body may react to a venomous snake bite, as it would in most exposures to toxic substances, by inducing nausea and vomiting. While snake venom is delivered via injection, the body’s defense mechanisms may respond in much the same way it does an ingested poison, futilely trying to encourage the rapid expulsion of the toxin by inducing vomiting, diarrhea, or other digestive distress. Neurotoxic venom may also directly cause dizziness and nausea as it disrupts the body’s system of balance. The individual may feel seasick or have the sensation of vertigo following an envenomation. While the symptoms may have a rapid onset following a bite, they may take many hours, or even a full day, to occur, especially when the snake in question is a species utilizing neurotoxic venom. Any instance of serious nausea or vomiting within twenty-four hours of a known or suspected snake bite should be treated as a potential envenomation, and a serious medical emergency requiring immediate professional care.

Continue to learn about the next warning sign of a venomous snake bite.

Labored Breathing

Following envenomation, the individual may experience tightness of the chest, labored breathing, or, in especially severe or advanced cases, respiratory arrest. Respiratory distress may, depending on the species of snake and the type of venom it produces, be a result of the damage or death of the muscles responsible for breathing, a lack of blood flow to the lungs, or specific or general muscular paralysis resulting from the disruption of the body’s motor pathways. Chest tightness and difficulty breathing can also be a sign of anaphylactic shock, a not uncommon (especially in the case of repeated envenomations) but potentially deadly response to snake venom. As in the other warning signs, symptoms may take seconds, minutes, or hours to arise, so any sign of breathing difficulty within twenty-four hours of a suspected snake bite should be treated as a serious emergency requiring medical care. The onset and escalation of respiratory distress may be rapid and catastrophic once symptoms appear, so prompt care at the first sign of breathing difficulty is especially important.

Keep reading to understand more warning signs of venomous snake bites.