With the increase of **scorpions** in some homes [due to high temperatures](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/alerta-por-temperaturas-extremas-en-buenos-aires-y-14-provincias/), it is important to consider some **tips** to prevent stings and know how to act if stung.
Preventive measures at home
To protect yourself, **check and shake your clothes and shoes** before using them, especially bedding before going to bed, and avoid walking barefoot in areas where scorpions are known to be.
Inside the home, **install weather stripping or screens on doors and windows**, as well as grates on drains. Seal or control the entry and exit points of pipes, openings, and cracks, plaster walls, and repair fissures. Keep underground chambers, pipes, basements, and cavities under control.
In the vicinity of your home, tidy up periodically, control trash to **reduce insects**, and avoid accumulating construction materials, debris, or firewood. If you must handle these materials, avoid direct contact. Remember that **chickens, toads, and cats** [are natural predators](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/zarigueyas-los-depredadores-inmunes-al-veneno-de-los-escorpiones/) of scorpions.
What to do in case of scorpion stings
If you suspect a scorpion sting, you should act quickly: **apply ice to the area** and go to the hospital to be evaluated.
It is not advisable to use home remedies. If there is evidence of severity symptoms during the medical consultation, the patient must receive antivenom serum to **neutralize the toxin**.
Otherwise, the patient will remain under observation for as long as the doctor deems appropriate – to monitor the progression of signs and symptoms that may require different action-.
- Avoid squeezing or puncturing the sting area
- Do not attempt to suck out the venom with your mouth
- Do not burn or apply solutions on the sting
How does the venom act after a scorpion sting?
The venom is a neurotoxin that acts on peripheral nerve terminals, causing the release of **chemical mediators** that are responsible for the symptoms.
If the venom reaches a blood vessel directly, the pain may be lessened or absent, while general symptoms will appear over time.
Does the venom affect children in the same way as adults?
Children are more exposed due to the type of **reaction they have to the venom**.
**Adults rarely have severe reactions**, except for the elderly or those with other conditions such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, or altered nutritional status.
The antivenom is provided by Htal J.F. Muñiz, the Toxicology Center of Htal Posadas, the Toxicology Center of Htal Fernandez. Any hospital can request it to administer it to a patient seeking treatment for a scorpion sting.
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