Step 1: Stay Calm
Before you start to panic, realize that spiders are not even close to being the deadliest animal in the United States. A Wilderness Medical Society study showed that distinction lies with horses, deer and cows. Even dogs are more dangerous than spiders.http://www.knbc.com/news/5135498/detail.html In fact, Children's Hospital Boston states that less than three people die from spider bites each year.http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1628/mainpageS1628P0.html
Step 2: Determine if the Bite Is from a Spider
If possible, try to find and catch the spider that bit you. Place it in a sealed container and take it with you to the emergency room. Do not touch it with your bare hands. However, do not delay seeking medical treatment to catch the spider if you start to show symptoms.
In a national study, only 20% of suspected spider bites were actually caused by a spider.http://www.marion.ohio-state.edu/spiderweb/Spider%20Bites.htm Unfortunately, unless you saw the spider or are able to catch it, it can be almost impossible to know for sure if you were bitten by a spider. Look at the wound. Do you see two tiny puncture holes close together?http://www.marion.ohio-state.edu/SpiderWeb/IfBitten.htm Contrary to popular belief, this does not immediately indicate a spider bite. According to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, it may actually be two marks from a biting insect like an ant or bedbug spaced closely together. In fact, many spider bites have no visible holes as the fangs of most spiders are simply too small to leave easily identified punctures in the skin.http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/2marks.html
Step 3: Determine if the Spider Is Dangerous
While over 30,000 species of spiders exist in the United States, the American Academy of Family Physicians notes that only two types pose a significant medical threat: the brown recluse and the black widow.http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070315/869.html The black widow ranges across the US while, despite sensationalistic news stories, the brown recluse is native ONLY to the green area in the map image; i.e., the southeastern and central area of the country.http://spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html The Mayo Clinic reports that both species, "prefer warm climates and dark, dry places where flies are plentiful. They often live in dry, littered, undisturbed areas, such as closets, woodpiles and under sinks."http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-spider-bites/FA00048
A few other spiders are considered "medically significant" but not overly dangerous, according to Children's Hospital Boston. They include the orb weaver, garden spider, gnaphosid spider (mouse spider), parson spider, huntsman spider, running spider, wolf spider, crab spider, orb weaver (barn spider), green lynx spider, jumping spider, false black widow spider and trapdoor spider.http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1628/mainpageS1628P0.html These spiders can leave a painful bite and cause some illnesses, especially in children and older people, but are not as severe as the black widow and the brown recluse. In most cases, medical treatment is not necessary.
Step 4: Treating Nonpoisonous Spider Bites
How your body reacts to the bite can be an indication of what type of spider it was. Nonpoisonous spider bites typically show swelling, redness, pain and itching. In these cases, you can treat the bite the same way you would treat any other insect bite.http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&cat_id=20221&article_set=36500&ps=190 KidsHealth.org's instructions say to:
- Clean the wound.
- Apply ice or a cold washcloth.
- Apply calamine lotion, baking soda paste (three tsp water to one tsp baking soda) or over-the-counter hydrocortisone ointment. Before applying hydrocortisone, be careful you have not been bitten by a brown recluse as this may actually cause more damage.
- Make sure your tetanus shot is current as any open wound may be infected.
According to WebMD, one of the biggest risks of spider bites can be anaphylactic shock. Symptoms usually begin with breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Swelling of the lips, tongue, ears, eyelids, palms of the hands and soles of the feet may also occur.http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/insect-bites-and-stings-and-spider-bites-topic-overview If any of these symptoms occur, call 911 immediately.
Step 5: Treating Poisonous Spider Bites
Although the symptoms of the brown recluse and black widow spiders are different, the initial treatment will be the same.http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&cat_id=20221&article_set=36500&ps=190 The University of Maryland Medical Center advises you to:http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/spider.htm
- Wash the area with soap and cool water.
- Apply ice or a cold washcloth to the area.
- Apply an antibiotic lotion or cream.
- Give acetaminophen, if necessary for pain.
- Elevate the site of the bite if possible.
- Seek immediate emergency treatment.
Despite many claims via anecdotes or product descriptions, DO NOT attempt to suck out the venom either using your mouth or a suction device.http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/brown-recluse-spider-bite?page=2 According to the Los Angeles Poison Center, "There is no benefit to ever trying to suck the venom out of a spider bite." By the time people notice a bite, the venom has usually diluted into the tissue. It is a waste of time.
- For black widow bites, antivenin may be administered.
- For brown recluse bites, treatment can include corticosteroids or surgery of the bite area.http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/spider.htm
- In both cases, hospitalization may be necessary.
For brown recluse bites DON'T:
- Apply heat, it may speed up tissue damage.
- Apply steroid creams like hydrocortisone.
Symptoms of Brown Recluse Bite
Most people do not feel any pain when bitten, though sometimes there may be a slight burning akin to a bee sting.http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/brown-recluse-spider-bite?page=2
About 2-8 hours later, symptoms like intense pain and/or itching where bitten, fever, muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting may occur.
At first, a brown recluse bite may resemble a common bug bite. After a couple hours, however, the bite site will become pale with a red ring around it, giving it the look of a bull's-eye. The center usually blisters over time, becoming blue to black as the venom kills the tissue. In rare cases this tissue death (necrosis) can spread and cause severe damage, most of the pictures found of brown recluse bites are (caution: link contains graphic photo) severe cases left untreated. Usually, no lasting problems arise.http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/brown-recluse-spider-bite?page=2
References
Disclaimer
The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.
Black Widow Spider
This amateur video shows a a female black widow spider in her web. Notice the large abdomen, shiny exterior and red hourglass shape on the underside visible near the end of the video.
How to Identify a Black Widow
The "black widow spider" is not one species but several species of spider found throughout the United States, though each of these spiders shares the bulbous abdomen seen in the video above. Only females bite, the males are too small. Black widows are small, generally about a half-inch long (not including legs). The most well-known are the southern and northern black widows.
Southern black widows are most commonly recognized by their glossy black exoskeleton and red or orange hourglass shape on their abdomen. When you imagine a black widow, you are probably picturing this one.
Northern black widows are described by WebMD as having "a row of red spots down the middle of the upper surface of its abdomen and two crosswise bars on the undersurface."http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/black-widow-spider-bite
Furthermore, the spots and bars may not even be red, but yellow or white. The widow itself may not even be black, some varieties have brown or red legs.
Symptoms of Black Widow Bite
According to the Mayo Clinic, "The bite feels like a pinprick. You may not even know you've been bitten. At first you may notice slight swelling and faint red marks. Within a few hours, though, intense pain and stiffness begin."http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-spider-bites/FA00048
Further symptoms of the venom may include trouble breathing and vomiting as well as feeling dizzy, faint, nauseous or chest pain.
Brown Recluse
This informational video from the government of Missouri shows a close-up view of a brown recluse. A fiddle-shape is visible directly behind the eyes on the spider's back. It is also possible to see the paired arrangement of the eyes.
How to Identify a Brown Recluse
The brown recluse lives in the southeastern, midwest, and south central US and has a violin shape directly behind its eyes.The brown recluse belongs to a family of spiders all bearing very similar violin markings on their backs. As a result, harmless spiders are often mistaken for a brown recluse.
According to WebMD, "The most common non-brown recluse spiders are the desert recluse found in Texas, Arizona, and California and the Arizona recluse. No deaths have ever been reported from non-brown recluse spiders. Bites from these cousins produce mild to moderate local skin disease."http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/brown-recluse-spider-bite
Another physical characteristic unique to the brown recluse are the formation of its eyes. Many spiders have eight eyes in two rows of four. A brown recluse has only six eyes spaced in pairs on its head, as can be seen in the image above.http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/brown-recluse-spider-bite
