Avoid snake and insect bites, not the great outdoors

DALLAS – Summer means time spent outdoors camping, hiking, and enjoying fun at the lake and the pool. Unfortunately, just like people, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders also prefer to get out and about in the hot weather. Experts at the North Texas Poison Center (NTPC), located at Parkland Memorial Hospital, are urging Texans to be aware of potential dangers lurking in recreational areas and around their home. 

“Snakes are critical to the ecosystem and most are not aggressive animals,” said Eileen Lopez, certified poison information specialist, NTPC. “They are most likely to bite when they feel threatened, startled, or provoked, so it’s important to take precautions to lower your risk of being bitten.” 

There are more than a hundred different types of species of snakes in Texas, but only about 15 percent are poisonous. Copperheads, coral snakes, cottonmouths (also called water moccasins) and rattlesnakes are the four species of venomous snakes found in the state. 

Avoiding a confrontation with a snake is the best way to avoid a bite, experts say, so it’s important to stay on hiking paths and wear thick boots and pants, avoid walking in tall grass, do not reach into logs, rocky crevices or under rocks, and use a walking stick to beat the ground to let snakes know you are coming. 

“If you are bitten, stay calm, remove any items of clothing that may constrict the area, wash the bite with soap and water, keep the bitten area lower than the heart, and call the North Texas Poison Center at 1.800.222.1222 as soon as possible,” Lopez advised.” Do not attempt to make an incision and suction the bite, apply hot or cold packs, constrict the area with a tourniquet and do not waste any time trying to kill or capture the offending snake.”

Scorpions are another Texas native that can inflict a sharp, painful sting. Although none of Texas’s 18 varieties of scorpions is considered deadly, individual reactions to a sting may vary. Scorpion venom is a neurotoxin and anyone stung should be watched closely for adverse or allergic reactions. 

Be aware of spiders, particularly the brown recluse and black widow which are the two species of spiders in the U.S. that cause more severe symptoms than just skin irritation and pain. Both species like to hide in dark, dry locations like wood piles, storage sheds and dark corners of garages or attics. To avoid bites, wear long sleeves, long pants, proper footwear and wear gloves when reaching into areas that may harbor spiders. 

Black widow bites can lead to severe muscle spasms, pain in the back, abdomen and extremities, sweating, fast heart rate and high blood pressure. The bite of a brown recluse can cause skin inflammation around the bite and in rare cases can lead to tissue damage. 

“Keep the North Texas Poison Center phone number programmed into your cell phone so it’s always ready,” Lopez stated. The Poison Help Hotline, 1.800.222.1222, is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by nurses, doctors and pharmacists. For more information and tips to prevent poisonings, visit the North Texas Poison Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NTXPC. You can also follow on Twitter @NTXPoisonCenter. 

The North Texas Poison Center, housed at Parkland Memorial Hospital, is one of 57 poison centers in the United States and a member of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Members staff the Poison Help hotline at 1.800.222.1222 that provides free, private, expert medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from toxicology specialists, including nurses, pharmacists, physicians and poison information providers.