The Scorpion is an eight-legged carnivorous anthropod that
are found worldwide. There are around 2,000 different species of known scorpion
found in most countries around the world today. There are references about Scorpions in Ancients texts which shows that they were deadly even in the
olden times. The evolutionary history of scorpions goes back to the Silurian period 430
million years ago. They have adapted to a wide range of environmental
conditions and can now be found on all continents except Antarctica.
Scorpions are arachnids (not insects) and the scorpion is
most closely related to spiders and ticks. All scorpions have a venomous sting,
but the vast majority of the species do not represent a serious threat to
humans and in most cases healthy adults do not need any medical treatment after
being stung. Only about 25 species are known to have venom capable
of killing a human. In some parts of the world with highly venomous
species human fatalities regularly occur, primarily in areas with limited
access to medical treatment.
Scorpions are generally nocturnal animals meaning that they
spend the day under rocks and in crevices and then come out to hunt in the
safety of darkness. Scorpions are carnivorous animals and paralyse their prey
using the venomous sting on the end of their tail so that the scorpion can eat
it without trouble. Scorpions also have two large claws or pincers which are
located at the front of the body of the scorpion. The claws of the scorpion
allow the scorpion to effectively hold onto prey in order to both sting it and
then eat it.
Symptoms of Scorpion Sting
For the majority of the time, when a human is stung by a
scorpion, the symptoms are often similar to those of a bee sting and are often
just swollen and painful. However, around 50 scorpion species are thought to
carry enough venom that could cause more serious harm to humans and around half
of those 50 scorpion species are believed to be capable of causing fatal
results when having stung a human being.
Scorpion sting and Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, Scorpions are classified based on its
toxicity. In general there are 3 types of Scorpions based on the level of
toxicity,
- Scorpions with less or no venom
- . Scorpions with moderate amount of venom
- . Scorpions with fatal amount of toxicity
Apart from these Scorpions are classified into 67 categories
based on the variations of Vata, Pita and Kapha dosa
Symptoms of Scorpion bite as per Ayurveda texts
- Buring pain
- Shivering
- Vomitting
- Horripulations
- Bloody discoloration all over the body
- If the bite is fatal, it can even lead to death
Ayurveda treatment for Scorpion Bite
- A paste prepared with Murraya koenigii (curry leaves) in butter milk is applied on the bite area to reduce the toxicity and symptoms.
- Paste prepared with equal quantities of leaves of Indigofera tinctoria (Neeeli or Neeliamari) and Aristolochia indica helps to relieve symtpoms
- A stream of ghee mixed with Rock salt (Saindhavam) can be poured over the affected area to reduce the toxic effect
- Application of paste of Lucas aspera also gives
instant relief
- Apart from these there are Ayurveda classic formulations like Vilvadi Gulika etc which can be applied after a consultation with a qualified Ayurveda practitioner
However, extra care should be taken when stung by a scorpion
and medical assistance should be taken at the earliest. Please do not go for
elf medication with out an assistance from the medical practitioner.
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