Brown recluse spider bites are typically not fatal, but children and the elderly and those in poor physical condition are at high risk. If bitten, first aid for a brown recluse spider bite may just save the victim from wound or bite infection.
First aid
Here are first aid actions to treat brown recluse spider bite:
- Remain calm. Don’t panic when bitten by a brown recluse spider.
- A cold compress or ice pack will minimize the swelling and pain in the bite area.
- Catch the spider, if possible for diagnosis by a spider expert.
- Contact your family physician or any medical expert for immediate attention.
Symptoms
To reiterate, don’t be alarmed that a brown recluse spider (BRS) bite can kill. Of course, the victim’s body will react depending on the amount of venom from the bite, the age of the recluse spider and the immune systems sensitivity to the venom. But again, the bite won’t kill anyone.
A BRS bite can cause immediate reaction to the victim but some may be unaffected by it at all. Normally a bitten person may start to feel the reaction 2 to 8 hours after. The bite is as small as a pinprick and may go unnoticed. However when the venom starts to react, the victim can feel the following bite symptoms:
- Restlessness
- General itching
- Fever and chills
- Queasiness or nausea
- Shock
A small white blister will begin to swell around the bite area. The affected area grows bigger and reddish. The tissue becomes hard when touched.
A wound from a BRS is characterized by dry, blue-gray or blue-white sunken patch. The surrounding area is red. The small lesion can be the size of a dime or larger; it depends on your reaction to the venom.
Severe reaction can result to a painful deep lesion that will take longer time to heal. A volcano lesion characterized by a hole in the flesh due to damaged tissues, can erupt at the site of the bite.
This is when infection can worsen from the BRS bite. The lesion can leave a scar after. Many physicians fail to diagnose immediately a BRS bite based from the wound itself and this can delay treatment. That is why it is important that positive identification be the first step to a BRS bite treatment. The victim can collect the spider even if it has been mangled or crushed and have a spider expert identify what kind of spider has bitten him.