Scorpion Sting

Scorpions are a type of eight-legged animal called an arachnid. They live in warm, dry climates all over the world. In the United States, they live mostly in the South and Southwest.

Scorpions have a front pair of claws and a flexible tail. The tip of the tail holds the scorpion’s stinger and two glands that contain a poisonous substance (venom) that helps scorpions protect themselves. When surprised or threatened, a scorpion may use its stinger to inject you with its venom. People sometimes call this event a scorpion bite, but it’s a sting, not a bite.

Most scorpion stings aren’t dangerous. In most cases, the sting causes pain but is pretty harmless. Less than 5% of stings require medical attention. Some scorpion stings can be life-threatening. There are about 1,500 species of scorpions in the world, but only about 30 have stings that are dangerous to people. Most of the scorpions found in the United States aren’t dangerous.

How common are scorpion stings?

Research shows about 1.5 million scorpion stings happen in the world each year.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

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