That Really Bites

All the years I have lived down here, one of the things I have noticed is that there are sure a lot of things in Florida that will bite you. From those pesky saltwater mosquitoes and the gnats that show up at sunset to the more serious critters that can really ruin your day. So, how do we deal with the things that can really cause you serious injury, even death? Of course, when I say serious injury, you are all thinking about alligators, crocodiles, sharks, and snakes. We will get to them in a bit, but those threats can be easily avoided in many cases. Let’s talk about bugs, specifically fire ants, hornets, and wasps. And for you water lovers, we can include jellyfish, sea urchins, and stingrays. What am I talking about? Allergic reactions to stings and bites that can be potentially fatal. One example is anaphylactic shock that can occur as a result of stings, bites, or coming into contact with jellyfish, their tentacles and the stinging cells known as nematocysts. Anaphylactic shock from, say, a hornet sting is a true medical emergency. The reactions can be a rapid drop in blood pressure and even more significantly, the narrowing of your airways, causing a very real breathing problem. What are we looking for here? Look for these signs, usually involving the nose, mouth, and skin. Hives or swelling of the eyes, lips, or tongue and difficulty breathing. It is very important to realize what might be happening, as 911 MUST be called immediately. And be prepared to start rescue breathing and even CPR if things really go bad. What about Benadryl? Truth is, Benadryl can work with a mild case of anaphylactic shock but not in a full-blown reaction where an EpiPen (Epinephrine) is needed. And people can be allergic to Benadryl; that is why unless you’re a trained medical professional, you never prescribe or administer medicines of any kind. You can offer something, BUT it’s the person who is having the problem who decides what he or she might take. For a person who knows they can be susceptible to anaphylactic shock, they may carry an EpiPen and be wearing a medic bracelet or necklace. If you take a first aid class, you will learn how that EpiPen works just in case the victim asks you to help them administer a dose of Epinephrine. If you have Benadryl in your first aid kits as I do, you might offer a dose of Benadryl to that person so they can take it themselves, but fully explain that Benadryl might ease the symptoms, but cause an allergic reaction of its own. Bottom line, ALWAYS call 911 immediately in any medical emergency; get the pros rolling! To neutralize a jellyfish sting and stop the venom cells from firing, rinse the area generously with vinegar; keep some in a plastic bottle in your boat. Rinsing in saltwater does nothing to help and don’t use fresh water, as it triggers more venom release. So the big three: snakes, alligators, and sharks. It’s always going to be avoidance, being aware of the potential that these critters might be in the area and knowing how to avoid contact as much as you can. We do have several poisonous snakes in our area. Rattlesnakes, pigmy rattlesnakes, coral snakes, and water moccasins are all out there, thankfully in small numbers. But in our country, it does happen; in North America, 3,800 to 6,500 annual cases are the norm. If someone gets bitten by a snake, it is very important, like with any medical emergency, to keep them calm. If someone is bitten, as with any medical emergency, call 911 immediately. One thing you can tell the bite victim AFTER you have called 911 and EMS is on the way is that this bite could have been what is called a “dry bite” or “dry hit.” Snakes need time to produce venom that they need to catch their prey, their food. So, snakes may benefit from delivering warning bites devoid of venom, a dry bite to predators and threats, thereby saving their venom for future prey. Thus, in many encounters where snakes bite human victims, the victim may fortuitously only receive a dry bite. However, this is just a possibility, but it is something useful you can tell a bite victim to calm them. So, all snake bites are treated like a full “wet” bite. I wanted to get a bigger bite out of this subject, so I decided to speak to someone who really knows what to do. I contacted Division Chief of Training and EMS from our own Marco Fire Department, Chief Jake Clemmons. Chief Clemmons agreed that the first thing you do is call 911 and get EMS rolling. It is very important to try to identify what species of snake it is. Chief Clemmons advised you should never try to catch or kill the snake, lest EMS end up with two or more snakebite victims instead of one. Taking pictures of the snake with your phone is the best action to take. Once EMS arrives, the patient will be transported to the hospital for further treatment. Here is why identifying the snake, if possible, is so important. In Miami, there is a group called Venom One. This medical center will actually fly by helicopter, bringing the anti-venom from their Miami location to our Naples area, or anywhere else it is needed. So, one last bunch of questions for Chief Clemmons. Uncle Louie says cut X’s into the bite area and suck the venom out. Put a tourniquet on the arm or leg or apply ice. NO, NO, and HECK NO! was the Chief's answer. If venom is actually present, it is already in the person’s body; cutting open the area is just causing more damage. And a tourniquet just has no value. I thought ice packs might offer some comfort. But the problem here, according to Chief Clements, is that if you apply ice, it can discolor the skin, which can be a big problem for the ER doctors who want to observe and monitor the bite area, which helps them make decisions on how to proceed. What should you do? Like I say with all medical emergencies - cuts, heart attacks, and bites - keep the victim calm, and Chief Clemmons agreed. Covering the wound, explaining the possible dry bite and reassuring the victim that EMS and help are on the way slows the victim’s circulatory system and helps prevent shock. We have both alligators and crocodiles in our area. I was on the Collier County Sheriff’s Office dive team for almost 16 years. We encountered plenty of alligators while hooking cars and doing evidence searches in our local waterways. We always treated alligators with respect and kept an eye on them, but they were almost always standoffish and didn’t like any human interaction. Crocodiles, however, are in my opinion alligators with a bad toothache and seemingly much shorter-tempered. Luckily, our crocodile population is located behind the Marco Island airport on Mainsail Drive. The main thing is, in addition to simply being aware of your surroundings and avoiding them, don’t be an attractant. Alligators are at the top of the local food chain and, except for humans, have little to fear. Their main interest is food, so the biggest no-no is walking that pet dog anywhere near any local body of water. We have all seen those news articles about dogs being grabbed by an alligator. And yes, they are fast on land for short distances. If you must work around the edge of a canal, keep an eye open. Remember, like any predator, alligators don’t want to tangle with something bigger than them or something that might be a threat. Two people at the water’s edge together make for an even bigger deterrent. In our dive team’s case, two divers in the water together were an even bigger disturbance than one.

As a diver, I have had the privilege of having dived and photographed sharks all over the world. Sharks are magnificent creatures and even in the middle of a planned shark feed, like in Fiji, they were organized and calm in their feeding. The problem is that sharks are curious animals and when they need to see what something is, i.e., is it something I can eat? If they can’t clearly “see” it, they need to touch it. Unfortunately, they lack hands and fingers, so their way of touching something to identify it is by biting it. If you study the vast majority of shark bites in our state, both east and west coast waters, the bite is a one-bite encounter. Sadly, the one curious bite can be devastating, even fatal. People don’t realize that to a shark, you simply taste bad; thus the one bite is common. So how can we be safer in our water and not fall victim to what is really a rare occurrence, a shark bite? The clearer the water, the better. In my experience as a diver and underwater photographer, I would rather have a shark see me from a distance than have it come up close to identify me. Don’t swim at dusk and in turbulent waters like the kind found in the surf on the east coast if you suspect sharks are in the area. The clearer the water, the better. Watch for a disturbance like a school of small fish; they call that a bait ball for a reason. Swim away from that. Jewelry that flashes, like wrist or ankle bracelets, is something to avoid, too. Free divers and SCUBA divers who are spearfishing, consider having a way to “quick release” that stringer if the finned tax collector shows up! We live in a fantastic part of our country, but like many other places, there are potential threats. Through education, learning about what you might encounter, how to deal with those threats and being trained in first aid goes a long way in staying safe! Like I often say, get trained; take a first aid class. The Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron and the Marco Island Fire Department offer classes in our area almost every month. Contact the Marco Island Fire Department or go to the Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron's website, www.marcoboatingclub.org, call 239-393-0150, or stop by the training center at 1114 North Collier Boulevard.