Mouthful from a Mfezi

[Marcel2992]

With venom in the eyes, you can use any drinkable liquid from cold drink to milk.. It all the same..There is a eye drop liquid that works just to be safe, but I cannot remember the name..Will try to get it.. sorry

@wildfrontier: nice photo!! Have you entered it to the competition yet?

[Bushviper]

Come on guys dont write rubbish here because others see this and think it is true.

Cold drinks, milk and other fluids can damage the tissues of the eyes. Cold drinks often have a very high acid content. Milk is fatty and will actually keep the venom in the eyes for longer than other bland fluids. Any fluid with alcohol in it will burn like crazy.

Urine is not sterile and the bacteria in it along with the high acid content will burn the eyes and also can cause secondary infection in area that have been damaged on the cornea. In a medical emergency it is better than not using any fluids at all.

Water or even better saline solution is the first choice. These dissolve the venom and then it gets flushed out. Normal eye drops are just glorified saline solution. You need a few bottles to make a difference

Anesthetic drops can be used after the venom has been removed. You want the venom out before stopping the bodies natural ability to produce tears which washes away some of the venom. Some 1/1000 adrenaline dropped in the eyes does soothe the eyes but exactly how this works I am not sure.

[Marcel2992]

OK.. alcohol I understand is not a choice at all, but as I learn't it, any drinkable fluid is fine..? I know that lots of people think milk is the best option, for me personally its one of the worst.(interesting what you said about the fat, that will keep the venom in). Whatever, I have never been spat in the eyes (glad about that) but if I would've been spat I would use that anesthetic drops.. (just need to get that name).. BV, I know you know what you are talking about.. but who is to believe now..? I respect you..

[Bushviper]

Milk is a throw back to ancient times when it was believed that milk from a mother who was breast feeding a boy would neutralise venom from spiders and scorpions in North Africa / Middle east.

Milk is used to neutralise some poisons/medicines and this has stuck in peoples heads. Milk is also often given when victims have drunk poisons and sometimes milk reacts with the poison and makes it worse. In the case of snake spray it often gets used and because it is cool it feels as if it is soothing the burning sensation.

Either way it is not my first choice.

[deleray]

I washed straight away with water. I now understand why people would put almost anything in their eyes to try and stop the pain. It is intense and to be honest, you can probably put your eyes directly under a tap for hours and it will do nothing to stop the pain (it will wash the venom but it has already done its job in the first few seconds).

I washed them about every 5 mins for the next few hours until the pain slowly subsided.

A sticky topic about what to do with regards to being spat in the eyes is not a bad idea. I have been keeping spitters for years and never actually thought about what I would need to do in the instance that it actually happened to me. My girlfriend (as women do) freaked out and called Tigerberg Poison Centre on the sly and they insisted I needed anti-venom??? Not sure about that one.

P.S. The beer and tequila are meant to be drunk, not put in the eyes for the "slower" forum members

[Westley Price]

This might be a dumb question, but would it be beneficial to swim in a chlorinated pool with your eyes open?

Often when I think of being hit in the eyes by a Spitter, this is the method of relief I think about.

[deleray]

This might be a dumb question, but would it be beneficial to swim in a chlorinated pool with your eyes open?

Often when I think of being hit in the eyes by a Spitter, this is the method of relief I think about.

Don't see why not. I never thought about it though, pool was right there

[Silvrav]

Thanks for clearing that up BV. Now we know what and what not to do.

Interesting question about the swimming pool...

Deleray,are you up for an experiment?

[marc bt]

I have read (a rather old book on SA snakes) that anti-venom should be used to wash out venom in the eyes but is it worth it with regard to the "short" supply of anti-venom ( i may be wrong ). And if you were spat in the eyes by an exotic snake would you need anti-venom for exotics?

[Bushviper]

Anti-venom will not have much effect because your tears would wash it out as quickly as what it entered. In theory it should work but at the cost of antivenom I would rather avoid it. Water would do basically the same job just quicker because it would be a flushing action.

Swimming in a pool will work. Actually any water will be great although if the water is filthy then rather not. Especially for dogs and children the next best thing is a garden hose. Open it to a trickle and sit on the patient. (not miniature breeds or very small kids) so that they cannot push your hands away or bite you. Open the eyes slightly and wash then venom out moving the hose from side to side. Turn the eyelids over as well because the venom could be under there too. Continue for several minutes and then take the patient into a dark room and let them rest. Apologise and give them a cookie.

A trip to the doctor would also be advised to detect corneal damage which may have occurred if there was a long time between being sprayed and flushing out the eyes.

[Boskobra]

WF@That is an awsome photo I agree to post it for the competion.....!but I absolutely love the part of the cupboard!LMAO
Delarey@ from the way you tell the story I hope that it never happens to me....I had an 'oogpister' that gave me a shot once and from that experience I can say please never n spitter!

[Silvrav]

(not miniature breeds or very small kids) so that they cannot push your hands away or bite you.

Wow BV, the kids in pretoria is rough... hope a kid never bites me

[MrG]

Here is some information...

Snake venom in the eyes

First aid treatment consists of abundantly irrigating the eye with water or if possible normal saline.
A single application of local anesthetic eye drops helps to overcome tightly closed eyelids and facilitates irrigation. Topical or systemic antivenom treatment is not indicated. Steroids (topical or systemic) are contraindicated. The patient should be treated as for a corneal injury with a topical antimicrobial agent (tetracycline and chloramphenicol). Adrenaline eye drops (1:1000) are said to relieve the burning sensation instantaneously.

From....... http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/docume ... 16775e.pdf

[deleray]

Adrenaline eye drops (1:1000) are said to relieve the burning sensation instantaneously.

I will be going to buy some of those this afternoon!

[Bushviper]

Adrenaline is cheap and can be stored in the fridge.

It is also what you need to treat anaphylactic shock from bee stings or even snake bite. Just make sure in that case that it goes into a muscle and NOT into a vein.