Plants & Wildlife · Immediate reference · Basic
Snakebite First Aid: What the CDC Says
The right moves in the first minutes after a venomous bite — and the folk remedies that make it worse.
This is for educational purposes only. Not professional medical, electrical, or safety advice.
Warning
Cut-and-suck kits and tourniquets are not first aid — the CDC explicitly rejects them. The only real treatment is antivenom at a hospital.
- 01
Get help coming immediately
Call emergency services right away — don't wait for symptoms. Have someone drive you or wait for responders; don't drive yourself.
- 02
Stay calm and still
Sit or lie down with the bite in a neutral, comfortable position. Remove rings, watches and tight clothing near the bite before swelling starts.
- 03
Clean and cover
Wash the bite with soap and water, then cover it with a clean, dry dressing. Mark the edge of the swelling with a pen and write the time — this helps doctors track the venom's spread.
- 04
Identify from a distance only
If you can safely photograph the snake from far away, do. Never try to catch or kill it — and never handle a dead snake or even a severed head, which can still bite by reflex.
- 05
The forbidden list
No tourniquet. No cutting the wound. No sucking out venom. No ice, no immersion, no electric shock, no alcohol. Skip aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Every one of these folk remedies makes the outcome worse.