Scorpion is an exotic arachnid similar to crayfish, belonging to the type of arthropod insects, which has been feared by all living things for many centuries.
His bite carries a great danger to a person, up to partial paralysis and death.
Where can you find a scorpion?
Scorpions are very aggressive and venomous; are found mainly in the countries of Southern Europe, Central Asia, America, North Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Crimea.
A special representative of this insect species is the Israeli subspecies of the genus Leiurus quinquestriatus, which is translated from Latin as "deadly pursuer". Residents and guests of southern countries are most at risk of being bitten, who first of all should know what such an insect looks like and what lifestyle it leads. If somehow a person received such an injury as a scorpion sting, what should I do? How to be saved? What are the first steps to take?
Description of a scorpion
Scorpio has impressive dimensions (sometimes up to 18 cm), outwardly resembles a crayfish: a body divided into segments, 2 claws, 6 limbs. You can recognize a dangerous creature by a thickened upward curved tail with a sharp sting. Most of the life, the duration of which is about 5 years, the insect spends in places inaccessible to the human eye (small gorges, spaces under stones, burrows in sandy soil 15-25 cm deep). It is active mainly at night. A person can be attacked only because of fear or in the process of protection.
The venom of some species is very dangerous, so a timely recognized scorpion sting can save a human life. It is believed that individuals with large claws are less poisonous.
Scorpion sting: symptoms
When a scorpion bite, resembling a rather painful injection, the following symptoms are observed:
Sharp, burning pain, proportional in its power to the degree of poisonousness of the scorpion. The pain is reminiscent of a severe burn and can last for several hours, then intensifying, then subsiding
- Redness at the site of the lesion with a dark injection point in the middle. The occurrence of edema, rapidly spreading with a potent poison.
- Severe itching.
- Feeling of numbness at the affected area.
- Formation of bubbles filled with clear liquid.
- Nausea attacks, occasional vomiting, painfeeling in the stomach.
- Dizziness, headache, sometimes sore throat.
- Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
- Active salivation, confirming intoxication of the body.
- Swelling of the tongue, discharge from the eyes of a purulent consistency - with severe lesions.
- Tachycardia and loss of consciousness in particularly difficult cases.
- Unstable body temperature.
- General anxiety is the result of nervous system overexcitation.
Scorpion sting: first aid and treatment
It is very important to respond to the bite of a malicious insect in a timely manner, because passivity in such cases can cause serious consequences. What to do with a scorpion sting? In the first minutes, actions should be taken to prevent and slow down the penetration of the poison into the body.
- Try to squeeze out the poison or make a small incision at the bite site and suck out the toxic substance. Fluid should be spit out periodically. After completing the procedure, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water. It is very important that there are no wounds in the oral cavity. The method is effective in the first 10 minutes from the moment of injury.
- Treat the affected area with an alcohol solution and apply an antiseptic bandage. This will keep germs from getting inside, which the scorpion could carry on its sting.
- Apply ice or apply a tight bandage to relieve swelling and reduce pain. This slows down the spread of the poison throughout the body.
- Position the victim horizontally, ensuring complete immobility of the bitten limb.
- Inject adrenaline or novocaine into the bite site, which will temporarily block the absorption of the poison.
- Apply antiallergic medicines. Action on nerve cells will exclude the injection of "Atropine".
Urgently deliver the victim to the nearest medical facility for professional assistance and further treatment
How to Avoid a Scorpion Sting
In order not to become a victim of a scorpion, it is recommended:
- for an overnight stay in nature, where there is a high probability of the presence of scorpions, choose flat surfaces, be sure to clean them from foreign objects: dry branches, stones, etc.;
- tightly curtain the entrance to the tent;
- before going to bed, carry out a thorough inspection of tents, sleeping bags;
- Shake out clothes and shoes in the morning;
- do not wander at night on rocky slopes, do not collect firewood;
- do not walk without shoes on sandy beaches and deserted places, as scorpions love to burrow into the sand at a shallow depth;
- when meeting with a dangerous insect, you should not tease him, try to touch his tail.
It is worth understanding what danger the venom of a scorpion carries for the body. Being a neurotoxic polypeptide, this substance is characterized by the ability to cause allergic reactions, stimulate the release of stress hormones and negatively affect tissues.brain and nerve cells.
Treatment
When bitten by a non-poisonous scorpion, treatment consists in treating the wound and relieving pain with cold or painkillers. In more difficult cases, the victim is required to ensure peace; in the presence of high blood pressure and muscle spasms, appropriate drugs and antitoxin serum are prescribed, which destroys the poison. In the first 12 hours after the bite, the patient is forbidden to take any food. In severe cases of scorpionism (as a scorpion sting is called in medical terminology), the patient is provided with blood circulation and airway patency with the parallel use of drugs whose action is aimed at eliminating shock and dehydration.
Phenobarbital, Diazepam, adrenoreceptors are prescribed - drugs that block symptoms arising from the action of the poison.
It is noteworthy that the deadly venom of a scorpion does not pose any danger to the latter, while a person can cause paralysis and swelling of the brain.
Consequences of meeting with a scorpion
The sting of a scorpion, if the latter is not poisonous, does not have serious consequences for the body, in mild cases it even looks like a bee. Remind of an unpleasant life moment can be small swelling at the site of the lesion, which will disappear in just a couple of days. In severe cases (such as a tree scorpion sting), the venom can enter the bloodstream, causing severe allergies and even death.
A scorpion sting is very dangerous, the consequences of which can be simply unpredictable, for people with weakened immune systems, the elderly and children. It is worth knowing that the development of poisoning depends on the height of the lesion: the lower the bite site, the less likely it is that serious reactions will occur.
This will come in handy
Approximately 95% of deaths and 80% of severe poisonings are recorded after encounters with fat-tailed representatives of the species - androktonus (from ancient Greek "killing men") that live in the forests and deserts of North Africa. The sting of a scorpion, the treatment of which can sometimes turn into a huge problem, is insensitive due to the presence of strong neurotoxins in the poison, which have a toxic effect on the nervous system and heart. The poison of such an insect is fatal within 7 hours from the moment of defeat. A person has severe intoxication, the child has asthma attacks. In this case, only an antidote can save a life.
Water scorpion - scorpion?
The namesake of the scorpion - the water scorpion that lives in ponds with slow water - can also cause trouble to a person. In fact, this is a bug that looks like its southern counterpart. It bites just as painfully, but is not dangerous. There is no need for special treatment; itching and discomfort can be relieved by applying cold to the bite site and treating it with an antiseptic.
Scorpion is an insect that always arouses increased interest. Mysterious and inaccessible, it carries a mortal danger to humans on its sharp sting. Therefore, when meeting with such a representative of the world of fauna, one should maintain composure and try to avoid a bite as much as possible.
