If someone is bitten by a snake, you won’t know if it’s a dry bite or a venomous bite – so to be safe, always treat any bite as a venomous bite.
Dry bites, whereby no venom is released, are painful and cause localised redness and swelling.
If the bite is venomous, other symptoms may include a stinging or burning sensation on the skin and feelings of nausea, dizziness, anxiousness and confusion. In severe cases, the bite may result in paralysis or coma.
Only a handful of people die from a venomous snake bite in Australia each year. Knowing what to do if bitten by a snake and giving proper first aid is essential in keeping those numbers down and reducing them even further.
Snake venom is carried in the lymphatic system and not in the blood stream, as many mistakenly believe. That’s why the main aim of snake bite first aid is to reduce lymphatic flow by applying continuous firm pressure over the affected limb. This is known as the Pressure Immobilisation Technique (PIT).
Immediate first aid should be applied to any snake bite victim. Follow the steps below and don’t forget to read the DON’Ts printed in red at the bottom of our guide.
