Ask Doctor Cory.

Dear Dr. Cory:

How many ounces of blood are in your body?

Zach Harshyne Shelocta, Pennsylvania 

Dear Zach:

An average adult has about five liters (ten and a half pints) or 168 ounces. Blood donors, people who give their blood voluntarily to hospitals to use for surgeries and emergencies, usually give about one pint of blood.

Dear Dr. Cory:

What should I do if I get bitten by a snake?

Kayla Gatewood

Dear Dr. Cory:

What if I get bitten by a snake like a diamondback rattlesnake? What should I take?

Matthew McLeod Hutchens Elementary School Mobile, Alabama

Dear Kayla and Matthew:

Most snake bites are not venomous but they can hurt. If not cleaned properly, they can become infected. Bites from nonvenomous snakes such as garter snakes or pet snakes often just brush the skin without breaking it. A bite from a nonvenomous snake should be washed well with soap and water. If the bite breaks the skin, have your parents check with your doctor to make sure that you are current with your tetanus vaccine. With the right care, these bites usually heal without any problems or scars.

Bites from venomous snakes, such as rattlesnakes, are a different story. This type of bite can be deadly if the person does not get medical care immediately. In fact, about ten people a year die from venomous snake bites. There are about 45,000 snake bites a year and about 7,000 of those bites are from venomous snakes.

Snake bites can be treated best when your doctor knows exactly what kind of snake caused the bite. This is particularly important if the snake was a venomous snake. Antivenin serum is a medicine used to treat such snake bites. The type of antivenin used depends on the type of snake that caused the bite.

If you are unsure whether the snake that caused the bite was venomous, call your local Poison Control Center or go to your doctor right away.

Snakes help us by keeping the number of rodents down, but it is good to have a healthy respect for them.

Dear Dr. Cory:

Where do plantar warts come from?

Jackie Sherbeyn Geneseo, Illinois

Dear Jackie:

Warts are not pretty to look at, but they are nothing more than harmless growths on the skin. They are caused by the human papilloma virus. The virus invades skin cells and makes them multiply rapidly. It isn't understood why, but the body's natural defenses seem to ignore the wart. Warts are contagious, but they tend to spread on the person with the wart rather than to other people. Avoid picking at them to keep the wart from spreading.

They are usually not painful except when you have one in a place that receives a lot of pressure--such as the foot (plantar warts).

Warts will go away on their own, but it may take as long as two to three years.

One type of wart treatment is the medicated skin patch. These patches have special medicine on them. A new patch is applied to the wart each night. Sometimes the wart is gone within a few weeks. These kits are available without a prescription at a pharmacy. Your doctor can also remove them by surgery or by freezing them. Check to see what he recommends for your type of wart.

Wart viruses can easily be picked up in the shower or in the locker room at pools or gyms. To help avoid getting plantar warts, wear sandals such as flip-flops while in these areas.

See you next issue!

Your friend,

Cory SerVaas, M.D.

Snake-Smart Tips:

Be cautious of places where snakes like to hide: rocky areas, hollow logs or stumps of trees, animal holes, wood piles, cornfields, bushes, and sheds storing grain.

Don't reach into or under rocks, logs, or animal holes.

Look on both sides of a log before stepping over it. Snakes often nap in such places.

Wear boots or high-top work shoes and long, heavy pants when walking in woods or fields.

Leave dead snakes alone! Two doctors from Phoenix reported that 15 percent of the people they treated for rattlesnake bites were bitten by "dead" snakes. Even a cut-off snake's head can make reflexive biting motions up to an hour after death.