by Walter Little

Created on: January 21, 2009

Scorpions, Spiders & Snakes Oh My!
Section 1 - Scorpions: Little critters with big stings
Scorpions occur naturally in south, west and northern parts of Africa; north, central and south America; India and the Caribbean. Here in north America the "unpleasant ones" are typically found in Arizona (such as pictured above), New Mexico and on the California-side of the Colorado River. Other north American species are considered to be fairly harmless.

Researchers say that in Mexico an average of 1,000 2,000 death-a-year result from scorpion stings. They add, however, that these pesky little critters can travel anywhere in the world simply by stowing away in a piece of cargo being transported by ship.
How to avoid stings
Scorpions by their very nature are nocturnal animals meaning they normally only come night. Otherwise they often hide in dark cracks and vegetation. Experts add the following suggestions to avoid being stung:
In areas where scorpions are known to reside, they advise to watch out for dark hiding places indoors such as cupboards, under bed covers and inside shoes. They recommend checking under bed covers (and under the bed itself) as well as shaking out shoes prior to wearing them.
In some countries, it is popular to "play" with a scorpion. One word: DON'T.
A scorpion stings with a poisoned hook on it's tail. Use caution if you come upon a scorpion and stay clear of its tail.
Treatment of a Scorpion sting
Sometimes regardless of how careful we attempt to be an accident happens and you (or a loved one) gets stung. Here is what doctor's recommend if the unthinkable happens.
When a sting occurs, pain at the sting site can sometimes be limited by applying an ice cube. In more severe cases pain-killing injections may be required and, in that case, the patient needs to be taken to their physician or near-by Emergency Room (ER) as soon as possible.
Although not seen in all victims of a scorpion sting, some patients may present more marked symptoms such as malaise, nausea, heart palpitations (where the heart either skips a beat or beats with a rapid, irregular rhythm), rise in blood pressure (hypertension), increased salivation, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea need to be treated in a similar fashion to a snake bite and the patient should be immediately transported to the hospital preferably by trained EMS personnel.
Anaphalactic shock a severe allergic in scorpion sting victims is life-threatening and requires immediate EMS intervention is the patient is to survive. Symptoms

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