₦airaland Forum

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Oga there is no proven local cure

The ones you people talk about is a case of non venomous snakes that bit someone and you people think the local herbs worked

Alaefulu:
This is helpful,but I still disagree with the part you said there is no local cure to snake bite.our fore father's have been living with snakes and treating themselves of snake bite even before the white men came to explore Africa.

Local herbs don't work

The ones you people talk about is a case of non venomous snakes that bit someone and you people think the local herbs worked.

Especially now that rainy season is upon us there will be plenty of snakes unfortunately

It hasn't been proven because your white master say so,so what happened to the lady that died despite being given your proven anti venom

kayyyy44:
Oga there is no proven local cure

The ones you people talk about is a case of non venomous snakes that bit someone and you people think the local herbs worked

Stop spreeding nonsense, you are absolutely wrong here...👇🏾


🐍🐍🐍🐍Local Herbal Practices — Medical Reality**

**LOCAL FIRST AID BEFORE HOSPITAL CARE (SUPPORTIVE ONLY)**

**Important Notice**

Local remedies and traditional practices **do not cure snakebite**. Their role, at best, is to **slow venom spread, reduce shock, and keep the victim stable while rushing to a hospital**.🐍🐍🐍🐍

I've been beaten by a snake and was at the edge of death before the local harb was given to me which i drank and threw up the poison through my mouth,, that was about 8 years ago I'm still alive so stop spreeding nonsense boi. And stop talking if you've not been a victim, stop assuming.

kayyyy44:
Local herbs don't work

The ones you people talk about is a case of non venomous snakes that bit someone and you people think the local herbs worked.

Here's the thing.

Antivenom only works for UNBOUND SNAKE VENOM( circulating in the body and not attachedto tissues.

So if the venom has entered the tissues, or bound to nerves. There's little it can do.

Same principle applies to tetanus and rabies.

That's why it's best given as early as possible, and it is advisable to stay still in one place, not moving Ugandan after being bitten by a snake

Operation Python dance comes to mind

PSmurf:
With all due respect, a rope torniquet could have saved that girls life at the cost of her limb. I think she would have preferred to be alive with a leg amputated due to the torniquet than lose her life completely with her limbs intact.

Venom travels via the lymphatic system , not blood system. Tourniquet won't help in that regard

Also, releasing the tourniquet can potentially release a lot of the accumulated toxins into the body with very godawful effects

[b]You are asking somebody with those Nigeria demonc snakes bite to sit according to the diagram above ba? I swear the person will die on that sitting.

Wait minute what are you talking about?

Guys don't listen to that shit diagram. Pls in any snake pls you rush inside your house or wherever you can ask for bitter Kola chew a whole Bitter Kola and swallow it the chemical in Bitter kola will quickly neutralise thee venom power then rush to hospital for medcal help...

Secondly pls do fumigation every 3 or 4 months it will help you a long way...

Thirdly, as an Africa, dice Bitter kola into pieces may be 3 or 4 dice it and pour it in a empty bottle add Gin(preferably) or add water to it leave it for 3 days then after 3 days its ready any snake bite or scorpion or spider bite just take a shot or a small glass of it and drinks it immediately then tie rope just above the bitten spot tightly and seek for medical help.

Don't take my remedy as a joke I have all these stuff ready made in my house despite I fumigate every 4month compulsory..[/b]

What if e bite you for Belle or back?

Alaefulu:
So what you telling me is all those people being bitten by snake and cured traditionally are snake that are not venomous or mildly venomous,I don't agry with you on that but the topic is helpful just like I said earlier

If you dont agree with him then do your researches Google is your friend, but I agreed 100% with him, because I know is the truth of the matter, dont be deceive, I come in peace.

You are very right on the Bitter leaf, Neem leaf etc. Those were primary first aid methods used by hunters and farmers in rural areas in the event of a snake bite. Kudos!

AI detected

In case of emergency, place papain( whitish juice from unripe pawpaw) on the bite, then taste s little of it

Secondly apply powder charcoal to bite.

Then you can make it any hospital

I’m curious
Most times when giving awareness to snake bites , it’s usually limbs that is used. Snake no de bite person for nyash? Or eye? Or neck? Or back? How do we immobilise such areas?

I’m asking out of curiosity ooo

bikefab:
You are very right on the Bitter leaf, Neem leaf etc. Those were primary first aid methods used by hunters and farmers in rural areas in the event of a snake bite. Kudos!

Papain should be more effective cos snake venoms are mostly protein, so papain helps break them down to simpler protein which the body can handle.
While charcoal can help absorb excess toxins

PSmurf:
With all due respect, a rope torniquet could have saved that girls life at the cost of her limb. I think she would have preferred to be alive with a leg amputated due to the torniquet than lose her life completely with her limbs intact.

The way some of you talk confidently, a fellow ignorant person wouldn't know you guys are yarning nonsense. Don't worry if it happens to you, use a torniquet ehn, tie it very tight. Oh and pls give us feedback.

Thanks for this. Let's spread far and wide

muyico:
**What Really Happens During a Snake Bite: A Public Health Message Following the Death of Singer Nanyah**

The tragic death of fast-rising Nigerian singer **Ifunanya Lucy Nwangene (popularly known as Nanyah)** on January 31, 2026, after a snake bite at her Abuja home, has deeply shaken the nation. Despite seeking urgent medical attention and receiving emergency treatment including antivenom, she developed severe complications and sadly passed away.

Her death is not just a celebrity tragedy — it is a powerful reminder that **snakebite is a silent public health emergency in Nigeria and across Africa**. Thousands of people are bitten every year. Many die or suffer permanent disability, not because treatment does not exist, but because of **delay, misinformation, and lack of awareness**.

Understanding what happens inside the body, what to do immediately, and why hospital care is critical can mean the difference between life and death.

**What Happens When a Venomous Snake Bites?**

When a venomous snake bites, it injects **venom — a highly active biological toxin made of proteins and enzymes** — directly into the body.

Unlike household poisons, venom is biologically designed to attack living tissues and vital organs.

Once inside the body, venom:
* Spreads through the **lymphatic system**
* Enters the **bloodstream**
* Circulates rapidly to vital organs
* Attacks the **nervous system, blood vessels, muscles, heart, lungs, and kidneys**

Without treatment, this process can escalate **within minutes to hours**, leading to severe complications.

**Types of Snake Venom and Their Effects**

Different snakes produce different venom types. Many Nigerian snakes produce **combined venoms**, making bites more dangerous.

**1. Neurotoxic Venom (Nerve-Attacking Venom)**

Affects the brain and nerves. Symptoms may include:
* Drooping eyelids
* Slurred speech
* Muscle weakness
* Paralysis
* Difficulty breathing

This can lead to **respiratory failure** if untreated.

**2. Hemotoxic Venom (Blood-Destroying Venom)**

Targets blood and blood vessels, causing:
* Excessive bleeding
* Internal haemorrhage
* Shock
* Organ failure

Victims may bleed from the gums, nose, wounds, or internally.

**3. Cytotoxic Venom (Tissue-Destroying Venom)**

Damages skin and muscles, causing:
* Severe swelling
* Tissue death
* Open wounds
* Possible need for surgery or amputation

**Why Children and Weak Patients Are at Higher Risk**

In children and smaller-bodied adults, venom becomes **more concentrated in the bloodstream**. Their organs also have less reserve to cope with damage.

This is why fatalities are higher among:
* Children
* Elderly people
* Pregnant women
* People with chronic illness

**Local Herbal Practices — Medical Reality**

**LOCAL FIRST AID BEFORE HOSPITAL CARE (SUPPORTIVE ONLY)**

**Important Notice**

Local remedies and traditional practices **do not cure snakebite**. Their role, at best, is to **slow venom spread, reduce shock, and keep the victim stable while rushing to a hospital**.

**The Most Important First Aid: Stillness and Immobilization**

This is more effective than any herb.

**What To Do Immediately:**

✔ Lay the victim down
✔ Keep them calm and quiet
✔ Immobilize the bitten limb using splints, cloth, or sticks
✔ Keep the limb below heart level
✔ Remove rings, shoes, or tight clothing

**Why This Works (Biological Principle):**

Venom spreads faster when muscles move. Keeping the body still slows lymphatic flow, delaying venom movement into vital organs.

**Commonly Used Traditional Plants (Supportive Only)**

These plants may help with swelling or infection control but **do not neutralize venom**.

**Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina)**
* Traditionally applied externally
* Mild anti-inflammatory properties
* ⚠ Not an antidote

**Neem Leaf (Dogonyaro – Azadirachta indica)**
* Antimicrobial effects
* May reduce skin infection risk
* ⚠ Not antivenom

**Pawpaw Leaf (Carica papaya)**
* Sometimes used externally
* May reduce local tissue irritation
* ⚠ No proven venom-neutralizing effect

**Scent Leaf (Ocimum gratissimum – Efirin/Nchuanwu)**
* Antiseptic properties
* Used traditionally for infection prevention
* ⚠ Not curative

**Charcoal Application (Local Practice)**

Some communities apply powdered charcoal around the bite area.
* ✔ May reduce surface contamination
* ❌ Cannot remove venom already injected into tissue

**Pressure Immobilization (With Caution)**

Useful mainly for neurotoxic bites (such as cobra or mamba).

**How It Is Done:**
* Apply firm but not tight bandage
* Immobilize the limb

**Important Warning:**

⚠ Do not block blood circulation
⚠ Do not use rope tourniquets

**Water and Oral Fluids**

If the victim is conscious:

✔ Give small sips of clean water
✔ Helps prevent dehydration and shock

❌ No alcohol
❌ No herbal alcoholic mixtures

**Dangerous Practices to Avoid**

🚫 Cutting the wound
🚫 Sucking venom with the mouth
🚫 Applying petrol, kerosene, engine oil
🚫 Burning the bite site
🚫 Using chemicals or electric shock

These actions worsen tissue damage, infection risk, and bleeding.

**Why Local Remedies Fail (Biochemical Explanation)**

Snake venom consists of protein-based toxins. Herbs and home remedies **cannot chemically bind or neutralize these molecules**.

Only **antivenom antibodies** can specifically attach to venom proteins and inactivate them. This is why hospital treatment is essential.

Cultural practices deserve respect, but medical truth must be spoken:

**There is no scientifically proven herb that neutralizes snake venom.**

Plants such as:
* Bitter leaf
* Neem leaf
* Scent leaf
* Pawpaw leaf

may help reduce surface infection or swelling, but **they do not stop venom inside the blood**.

Relying on herbs instead of hospital care delays treatment and increases the risk of death.

**Dangerous Practices That Kill Patients (Please Stop These)**

Hospitals often see complications caused by unsafe traditional methods:

🚫 Cutting the wound
🚫 Sucking venom
🚫 Applying petrol, kerosene, chemicals
🚫 Burning the bite site
🚫 Using electric shock
🚫 Tight rope tourniquets

These actions cause infection, tissue damage, bleeding, and permanent disability.

**Hospital Treatment: How Doctors Save Snakebite Victims**

When a patient arrives at the hospital, treatment begins immediately.

**1. Emergency Stabilization**

Doctors first secure life:
* Check breathing and circulation
* Provide oxygen
* Establish IV access
* Monitor blood pressure and heart rate

If breathing is affected, assisted ventilation may be required.

**2. Antivenom Administration (The Only True Antidote)**

Antivenom contains antibodies that bind venom molecules and neutralize them.

Important facts:
* Works best when given early
* May require multiple doses
* Cannot reverse already destroyed tissue
* Patients are monitored for allergic reactions

**3. Supportive Treatment**

Doctors may provide:

IV fluids — to prevent shock
Blood transfusion — for bleeding disorders
Pain control
Breathing support
Blood tests to monitor organs


**4. Surgical Care (When Necessary)**

Severe tissue damage may require:
* Removal of dead tissue
* Drainage of abscesses
* Limb-saving surgery
* In extreme cases, amputation


**When Does Snakebite Become Fatal?**

Death usually occurs due to:
* Delay in hospital arrival
* Respiratory failure
* Massive internal bleeding
* Shock
* Kidney failure
* Lack of antivenom availability

This is why snakebite is a **medical emergency and public health priority**.

**Common Dangerous Snakes in Nigeria**
* **Carpet Viper (Echis ocellatus)** — leading cause of fatal bites
* **Black-necked Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricollis)** — paralysis and eye injury
* **Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)** — severe tissue destruction

**Prevention Is Better Than Treatment**

**At Home**
* Clear bushes and refuse
* Seal wall cracks
* Use door blockers

**In Communities**
* Improve lighting
* Control rodents
* Clear abandoned plots

**Personal Safety**
* Avoid barefoot walking
* Use torchlight at night
* Avoid sleeping on bare floors

**Final Public Health Message**

The tragic death of Nanyah should not be in vain.

It teaches us that:
* Snakebite can affect anyone
* It progresses fast
* Delay kills
* Early hospital care saves lives

**Snakebite is not a spiritual attack.**
**It is not a herbal problem.**
**It is a medical emergency.**

**Safe Awareness Message to Share**

“Local herbs may reduce swelling, but they do not remove venom. The best first aid is to keep the victim calm, immobilize the limb, and rush to the nearest hospital for antivenom.”

AkpaMgbor:
I have NEVER seen a people so proud in their stubbornness like Nigerians! Your forefathers that were bitten by really venomous snakes DIED. You have been educated on this thread on how a snake venom works and why drinking or applying any substance on a bite wound won’t do anything but keep on regurgitating your forefathers rhetoric.

^^^

ukaface:
I’m curious
Most times when giving awareness to snake bites , it’s usually limbs that is used. Snake no de bite person for nyash? Or eye? Or neck? Or back? How do we immobilise such areas?

I’m asking out of curiosity ooo

^^^
Limbs are used in awareness examples because most bites (to the foot or leg) occur when people (accidentally) step on snakes...or when people reach (with arms or hands) for things - not knowing snakes are there.

Father4all:
. You guys are liars. Traditional snake healer is the best. Many years ago, my cousins where searching for crap in holes at our village when suddenly, snake came out from the hole and sting both of them, they collapsed immediately. Luckily for them, someone was coming from the farm. He saw them unconscious, he started shouting rushed to the road side and call other people. They took them to snake healer. They woke up by few minutes to eight o clock. This were people that were stringed by 1pm in the afternoon.

Why are you like this na....

nairalanda1:
Excellent and very detailed post

Reference ChatGPT ignored

nairalanda1:
Venom travels via the lymphatic system , not blood system. Tourniquet won't help in that regard

Also, releasing the tourniquet can potentially release a lot of the accumulated toxins into the body with very godawful effects

Imagine this scenario:

Someone stays in a village far away from the city. Moving from the village to the nearest hospital in the city takes 1 hour. The person in the village is bitten by a dangerous snake. The venom takes maximum of 30 minutes to kill even with pressure immobilisation technique if not treated.

What do you think should be done to save the person's life?

AkpaMgbor:
This my fellow Abian died because he believed his forefathers rhetoric. He was bitten by a gaboon viper (see the unique pattern on the snake). He was taken to a well known herbalist. Nearly 24 hours later his condition got worse and he was rushed to FMC Umuahia for them to perform magic. This young man wasted a full day survival window because he trusted the collective ignorance of those around him….I know your next argument will be “maybe the herbalist doesn’t know the right concoction”.

Imagine this scenario:

Someone stays in a village far away from the city. Moving from the village to the nearest hospital in the city takes 1 hour. The person in the village is bitten by a dangerous snake. The venom takes maximum of 30 minutes to kill even with pressure immobilisation technique if not treated.

What do you think should be done to save the person's life?

Spe23:
Imagine this scenario:

Someone stays in a village far away from the city. Moving from the village to the nearest hospital in the city takes 1 hour. The person in the village is bitten by a dangerous snake. The venom takes maximum of 30 minutes to kill even with pressure immobilisation technique if not treated.

What do you think should be done to save the person's life?

The man was 15 minutes away from FMC. But to answer your question, first of all there has to be a good awareness of our natural environment, this will help most snake bite victims to identify and understand the threat level of a snake bite ( Australians do this so it is possible to replicate). A hemotoxic venom can be temporarily localized by using a tourniquet (there are some dangers to it but still)…a neurotoxic venom cannot be localized by using a tourniquet because it attacks the nerves which are located deeper than blood vessels.
The implication of your question is a bitter but important one. Bitter in the sense that without getting quick and proper antivenin treatment specific to a particular venom, death is almost certain. Important in the sense that we need to fund and improve our primary health centers in the rural especially those with higher snake bite rates.

Okay

UzorIyke:
If you dont agree with him then do your researches Google is your friend, but I agreed 100% with him, because I know is the truth of the matter, dont be deceive, I come in peace.

From the post and comments, an area of consensus is, first aid is critical to fatality. Therefore, any serious talk on addressing this increasing problem should be towards having at least, a nail paint size of anti-venom included in every first-aid kit, available with a Doctor's approval (to prevent abuse), especially for those living in forest prone or snake prevalent areas, at every pharmacy or general hospital nationwide.

In as much as this write up is well detailed and promoted modern medicine, saying that traditional way of curing snake bite showed shallow knowledge of our local traditional medicine practices that have existed over years.

Most of our modern medicines source our locals herbs and roots. Our fathers were blessed with knowledge of how to combine these herbs and roots to product potent cure for make ailments including snake bites.

I was bitten by Cobra at the age of 19.
I nearly died. My leg became twice bigger with numbing feeling.
I became weak, fragile and pale within few minutes.

When the local medicine was applied, I vomited even greenish stuff. I became calm and slept off.
It took few days for the swollen leg to return to normal.

I survived the dangerous venomous snake bite. This is 36 years after the bite and no complications.

The pic below is the scar from the snake bite on my leg.