A scorpion is a small creature, about 6-10 cm long. It has a segmented body, with two poisonous glands in its tail.

It holds its victim with its claws and pushes forward the tail and injects the poison into the body.

The scorpion is nocturnal in nature, i.e. it moves around during the night. During the day it remains hidden in various dark places, like in shoes, in clothes/bedding, on the ground, behind the furniture, They are also found in various cracks in the walls, and under rocks, in vegetation/ gardens, etc.

The best treatment for scorpion bites is prevention

They usually move about during the warm season and, therefore, scorpion-stings are likely to occur more in summer, during the night.

Usually they do not jump and sting a person. They bite when someone comes into contact with them, or disturbs them. Children, being ignorant, while catching scorpions, may get bitten.

In view of the above, various prophylactic steps are suggested below:

(i) Shoes should be shaken out before use, especially old ones lying in one place for a long time.

(ii) All clothing, especially towels, bed sheets, blankets, etc, should be closely checked before use.

(iii) The space between the walls and the furniture should be regularly and carefully cleaned.

(iv) All holes/cracks in walls/floors/foundations of the old houses should be plugged and necessary repairs should be undertaken. One should not sleep on the ground.

(v) All rubbish in and around the house should be removed.

(vi) There should be proper maintenance of the lawns of the house.

(vii) Public places, especially gardens, should be carefully inspected, and children should not play there in the dark.

(viii) Persons, especially children, while on tour/trekking/a picnic should not disturb the area beneath the rocks, and should not go near heavy vegetation, or where a lot of debris is lying. One should wear boots in such situations.

(ix) If the particular area is more prone to scorpions, selected pesticides should be used at various places in the house, as well as in the garden/lawns, as a safeguard against scorpions.

Scorpion-sting is indeed a public health hazard. Besides abiding by the above preventive measures, which should be meticulously followed, primary health centers, especially in rural areas, where the chances of the presence of scorpions are greater, should be reasonably equipped, so that cases of scorpion-sting are given proper urgent first-aid measures, while referring the patient to a large hospital, so that the life of the patient is saved.

This information regarding scorpion-sting makes it clear that prevention is the only right way to deal with the problem, which if it is not heeded, has lethal consequences.

Author: Krishan Bakhru

Author sites: Home Remedies and Natural Cures and Self Help Tips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Krishan_Bakhru

Should I Worry About Health, Insurance or Safety in Mexico

The U.S. Public Health Service recommends the following measures for preventing travelers’ diarrhea: Drink only purified water (boiled water, canned or bottled beverages, beer, or wine). … If you’re sensitive to bites, pick up some antihistamine cream from a drugstore at home. Most readers won’t ever see an alacrán (scorpion). But if one stings you, go immediately to a doctor. The one lethal scorpion found in some parts of Mexico is the Centruroides

Top 7 Backpack Remedies: Plant Allies for the Trail & Road

I make a brandy tincture of fresh twigs (and flowers, when I can get them) and after much trial and error, ALWAYS use it as my first recourse against wasp, bee and scorpion stings, spider, ant or cone nosed kissing beetle bites

Experimental Drug Eases Scorpion Stings in Children

Experimental Drug Eases Scorpion Stings in Children, Study Finds New York Times The 10-year-old Michael Moerdler-Green was bit by a scorpion during a recent family trip to Phoenix and was treated with an experimental scorpion antivenom.

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It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with what they look like and where they tend to hang out. In this case prevenrtion is definitely better than cure!

A black widow spider can be recognized by red hourglass on its stomach. Only the female bites, and it has a neurotoxic venom. In the beginning pain is not severe, but severe local pain rapidly develops. The pain will slowly spread over the entire body and settle in the abdomen and legs. Abdominal cramps and progressive nausea, vomiting, and a rash may occur. Also you can expect weakness, tremors, sweating, and salivation may occur. Anaphylactic reactions can arise. Symptoms begin to regress after several hours and are usually gone in a couple days. Shock is possible. Be ready to perform CPR. Clean the bite area to reduce the risk of infection.

The funnel web spider is a large brown or gray spider found in Australia. The symptoms and treatment for its bite are as for the black widow.

The brown recluse spider is a small, light brown spider identified by a dark brown violin on its back. There is no pain, or so little that usually a victim does not notice the bite. Within a few hours a painful red area with a mottled cyanotic center appears. Necrosis does not occur in all bites, but usually in 3 to 4 days, a star-shaped, firm area of deep purple discoloration appears at the bite site. The area will turn dark and mummified in a week or two.

The margins separate and the scab falls off, leaving an open ulcer. Secondary infection and regional swollen lymph glands usually become visible at this stage. The outstanding characteristic of a brown recluse bite is an ulcer that does not heal but persists for weeks or months. In addition In addition to the ulcer, there is often a systemic reaction that is serious and may lead to death. Reactions (fever, chills, joint pain, vomiting, and a generalized rash) occur chiefly in children or debilitated persons.

Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders found mainly in the tropics. Most do not inject venom, but some South American species do. They have large fangs. If bitten, pain and bleeding are certain, and infection is likely. Treat a tarantula bite as for any open wound, and try to prevent infection. If symptoms of poisoning appear, treat as for the bite of the black widow spider.

Scorpions are all poisonous to a greater or lesser degree. There are two different reactions, depending on the species:

Severe local reaction only, with pain and swelling around the area of the sting. It is possible prickly sensation around the mouth and a thick-feeling tongue will occur.

Severe systemic reaction, with little or no visible local reaction. Local pain may be present. Systemic reaction includes respiratory difficulties, thick-feeling tongue, body spasms, drooling, gastric distention, double vision, blindness, involuntary rapid movement of the eyeballs, involuntary urination and defecation, and heart failure. Death is rare, occurring mainly in children and adults with high blood pressure or illnesses.

Treat scorpion stings as you would a black widow bite. And remember that prevention is better than cure.

Author: Mac Ward

check out my site and my other article on Bankruptcy Law.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mac_Ward

Black Widow Spiders Desert USA

All about Black Widow Spiders, includes color photos,video, scientific names, common names, description, behavior, range, habitats and life cycle. 

Spider Pictures Slideshow: Black Widow Spider vs. Brown Recluse

Watch and learn about black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders as their characteristics, dangers, and bite results are compared.   

What Do You Know About Black Widow Spiders?

Experts who deal with these spiders learned that an invasion of black widow spiders comes in cycles every 3 to 4 years.  

Emperor Scorpion With Habitat

The Emperor Scorpions are found in the Tropical rain forests of west Africa. They will grow to 4-6 inches. Eats 1-3 large crickets per week. If held under a black light they will glow green. Really.

What To Do For Scorpion Bites

Scorpion habitat, hides in shoes They usually move about during the warm season and, therefore, scorpion-stings are likely to occur more in summer, during the night. Usually they do not jump and sting a person.

Technorati Tags: bite, bites, black, dangerous, eat, food, habitat, informaton, prevention, scorpion, symptoms, treatment, what, widow

The scorpion is nocturnal in nature, i.e. it moves around during the night. During the day it remains hidden in various dark places, like in shoes, in clothes/bedding, on the ground, behind the furniture, They are also found in various cracks in the walls, and under rocks, in vegetation/ gardens, etc.

They usually move about during the warm season and, therefore, scorpion-stings are likely to occur more in summer, during the night.

Usually they do not jump and sting a person. They bite when someone comes into contact with them, or disturbs them. Children, being ignorant, while catching scorpions, may get bitten.

In view of the above, various prophylactic steps are suggested below:

(i) Shoes should be shaken out before use, especially old ones lying in one place for a long time.

(ii) All clothing, especially towels, bed sheets, blankets, etc, should be closely checked before use.

(iii) The space between the walls and the furniture should be regularly and carefully cleaned.

(iv) All holes/cracks in walls/floors/foundations of the old houses should be plugged and necessary repairs should be undertaken. One should not sleep on the ground.

(v) All rubbish in and around the house should be removed.

(vi) There should be proper maintenance of the lawns of the house.

(vii) Public places, especially gardens, should be carefully inspected, and children should not play there in the dark.

(viii) Persons, especially children, while on tour/trekking/a picnic should not disturb the area beneath the rocks, and should not go near heavy vegetation, or where a lot of debris is lying. One should wear boots in such situations.

(ix) If the particular area is more prone to scorpions, selected pesticides should be used at various places in the house, as well as in the garden/lawns, as a safeguard against scorpions.

Scorpion-sting is indeed a public health hazard. Besides abiding by the above preventive measures, which should be meticulously followed, primary health centers, especially in rural areas, where the chances of the presence of scorpions are greater, should be reasonably equipped, so that cases of scorpion-sting are given proper urgent first-aid measures, while referring the patient to a large hospital, so that the life of the patient is saved.

This information regarding scorpion-sting makes it clear that prevention is the only right way to deal with the problem, which if it is not heeded,  can have  lethal consequences.

Author: Krishan Bakhru

Author sites: Home Remedies and Natural Cures and Self Help Tips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Krishan_Bakhru

Fright Of My Life Today!

I must have stepped on him outdoors somewhere and he became stuck to the bottom of my shoe. This scares the daylights out of me!!! I do not want these things in my house. I have my yard sprayed each month to keep the scorpion’s food …

Scorpions Start Stinging Sooner

Calls to the center include bites from snakes, spiders, and centipedes, and stings from bees and scorpions. Out of those, McNally said scorpion stings are most common, with thousands of calls every year.

Warm Weather Leads To Increase In Scorpion Stings

March is typically too early for the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center to get calls of scorpion stings and spider bites. But this year, average daily temperatures have been about 10 degrees warmer than the same month last year.

One last sting in the Scorpion’s tail?

A trait of the scorpion is that you trap it under a glass, it goes completely still, pretending to be dead when really it is waiting for its moment of escape – and revenge.

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