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Health 08/07/2026 10:16

If bitten by a poisonous snake, is it safe to suck on the wound with your mouth?

When bitten by a snake, the victim's common reaction is panic. Instead, stay calm and stay away from the snake, observe it to remember its size, color and shape to describe to the doctor, according to the health website Healthline (USA).


Sucking on a snake bite wound with your mouth does not help remove the venom effectively and is also dangerous for the person sucking

Although different types of venomous snakes have similar symptoms such as swelling, redness, severe pain, difficulty breathing, vomiting, paralysis... And many people believe that sucking snake venom from the wound can help remove the poison.

However, Dr. Diane Calello, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (USA), said that sucking snake venom from the wound is not only ineffective but can also be dangerous. If there is an open wound in the mouth of the sucker, the venom will enter the bloodstream and be extremely dangerous.

Among the first aid tools for snake bites is a suction device to remove some of the venom. A study published in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine tested the effectiveness of this device. The authors used fake venom in the study. The results showed that the device only removed 0.04% to 2% of the fake venom. This is evidence that the device does not work effectively.

Instead, when bitten by a venomous snake, the first thing to do is to calm down to reduce the heart rate, keeping the bite position low below the heart. This will slow the spread of snake venom through the blood throughout the body. Call an ambulance immediately or have someone take you to the hospital immediately to be treated with antivenom serum.

While waiting for treatment, the victim should remove jewelry if it affects the swollen wound. When arriving at the hospital, describe the size, color and characteristics of the snake to the doctor to choose the appropriate serum.

Things people should not do after being bitten by a snake are to apply cold compresses to the wound, use sharp objects to cut the wound to suck blood, do not use cloth or anything to tie tightly above the snake bite, do not soak the wound in water or alcohol because these methods will cause further damage, according to Healthline.

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