If a snake bit you while you were sleeping, what would be your first reaction?
Scream? Jump out of bed? Run?
Santosh Lohar had a different reaction and bit the snake to death in retaliation.
The 35-year-old man from Panduka, Kharkhand in India, was sleeping when the reptile attacked him, prompting him to take the unusual tactic of quickly grabbing the reptile with an iron rod and biting it twice.
Santosh Lohar (pictured) said he bit the snake because a local superstition says that biting a snake twice will nullify the venom.
Work was underway to lay railway tracks in a wooded area when the attack on the workers’ base camp took place.
Asked why he bit the snake, Lohar said: India todayIn my town there is a belief that if a snake bites you, you must bite it twice to neutralize the poison.
Although a venomous snake bite can be fatal, a snake bite on a human would have little consequence other than putting the person at risk of another attack.
This is because snake venom is stored in the reptile’s gland and is only activated when it enters the bloodstream; otherwise, it is just a protein-like substance.
In fact, snake venom has been used in medicine to treat many diseases, including cancer, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
The type of snake that attacked Lohar has not been confirmed and he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was given an anti-venom and discharged the next day.
Bihar, the region where the railway was being built, is one of the three major states in India that record the highest number of snakebite attacks, with about 4,500 deaths annually, according to the National Health Mission.
India is home to nearly 300 species of snakes, over 60 of which are highly venomous, including the Indian cobra, Russell’s viper, common krait and saw-scaled viper.
They are often called the “Big Four” because of their powerful venom and the number of snakebites they cause each year.
According to a 2020 study studyRussell’s viper was responsible for 43 percent of all snakebites in India between 2000 and 2019, while kraits accounted for 18 percent of all bites and cobras for 12 percent.
These venomous bites contain neurotoxins that cause symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty breathing, pain and swelling.
Pictured: Indian cobra, one of the most venomous snakes in India
The venom attacks the circulatory system, the nervous system and the muscular system and can destroy the outer membrane of capillaries, which can cause internal bleeding and blood clots.
Capillaries are the smallest and most numerous blood vessels in the human body that connect arteries to veins.
“Venomous snakebites can cause acute medical emergencies including shock, paralysis, hemorrhage, acute kidney injury and severe local tissue destruction that can be fatal or lead to permanent disability if left untreated,” the study said.
If a person receives a snake bite, doctors recommend that they seek medical help immediately and remove any rings or watches before the body begins to swell.
It is also important to take a safe photograph of the snake so that doctors can identify its breed for treatment.
While waiting for medical help, the person should also sit in a neutral position to slow the spread of venom and clean the bite with soap and water.
