Copperhead resting next to house. Do's and Don't's if bitten
I was outside moving some wooden pallets next to the house yesterday. As I moved one pallet I looked down and saw a full-grown copperhead coiled up wondering who disturbed his resting place.
This is a poisonous snake and usually isn't aggressive in nature. But if by some chance I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing I could have accidentally stepped on the copperhead and suffered a nasty bite. Luckily I have never been bitten by a snake but I researched what to do if I was on the receiving end of one.
First and foremost do not panic! I know if hurts but for your best interest do not get overly excited and lose your shit!
Remove all jewelry and clothing from the affected area. If you don't you will have another issue to deal with once the swelling kicks in.
Call 911 immediately if you are having chest pain, trouble breathing, facial swelling or if the person loses consciousness. If not get to the closest hospital for further treatment. If you are pretty tough you can probably ride the snake bite out sitting at home but I wouldn't recommend it.
Clean the area with soap and water and keep the affected area still.
Ok here are things you definitely shouldn't do if bitten by a venomous snake.
Do not attempt to suck out the poison!!! I know you have seen it on movies but this will do more damage than good on a copperhead bite.
Do not ice the area. This could damage the surrounding tissue around the bite.
Do not put a tourniquet to try and limit the venom from flowing to the rest of the body. You want the venom to flow through the body instead of pooling up in one small area.
You do not have to kill or capture the snake to bring to the hospital for anti-venom treatment. You just need a picture or good description of the type of snake that put a hurting on you.
My biggest advice is to pay attention to your surroundings. These type of snakes love laying in pine needles and under plants near the house. Don't become a victim! I used a rake and a broom stick to carry this copperhead back to his natural habitat in the woods. He wasn't bothering me and I don't like to kill anything unless it's a mosquito or a common house fly.