Spider Bites

Spider bites can cause a great deal of stress, since some spider bites contain venom that can cause a person to feel sick or that can even be life threatening. While the bites from most spiders aren’t a cause for concern, some types of spider bites can cause symptoms like swelling, pain, nausea, vomiting, body aches, joint pain, fever, or spasming.

If you’re concerned about a spider bite, it’s never a bad idea to get it checked out by a doctor. Your doctor can inspect your spider bite, assess your other symptoms, and determine whether or not your spider bite could be serious and require treatment. If you have a spider bite that’s worrying you, come in to Bristol & First Medical Clinic & Urgent Care to have your bite inspected by a member of our experienced team. No appointment is needed to visit Bristol & First, walk-in appointments are welcome.

About Spider Bites

While most spider bites are not serious, the bites from some types of spiders can cause ill effects in humans. And in some rare cases, spider bites can be fatal (usually when the person bitten is very young or very old, or has a weak immune system). In the United States, there are three types of spiders that are notable for their dangerous bites: black widow spiders, brown recluse spiders, and tarantulas.

Black Widow Spider Bites

The black widow spider is the most venomous spider in the United Sates. Black widow spiders are black in color. Female black widow spiders have distinctive hourglass markings on their abdomens (these markings are usually red but can also be yellow-orange). Male black widow spiders have red or pink spots on their back. In the US, black widow spiders are most populous in the western and southern states.

Black widow spider bites can be fatal to humans, but fatal black widow bites are rare. More often, black widow spider bites simply cause very unpleasant symptoms. Some symptoms of black widow spider bites include severe pain in the abdomen and back, nausea, muscle aches, hypertension, profuse sweating, and paralysis of the diaphragm (which may cause difficulty breathing). The pain from a black widow spider bite (which affects the whole body an hour after the initial bite) can last for up to 12 hours, while other symptoms can last for several days. The effects of a black widow spider bite can be minimized with black widow anti-venom.

Brown Recluse Spider Bites

The brown recluse spider is another spider species with a venomous bite. Brown recluse
spiders can be brown or tan and their bodies can range in size from a quarter-inch to three-quarters of an inch. This spider species has a distinctive violin-shaped mark on its abdomen. In the US, brown recluse spiders are most populous in the Midwest and the South.

Brown recluse spider bites are rarely fatal. However, brown recluse bites can be painful and can cause highly unpleasant symptoms. Some symptoms of a brown recluse spider bite include ulcers (at the site of the bite), severe pain, itching, fever, chills, nausea, joint pain, or weakness. In some cases, the ulcer from a brown recluse bite can widen and take months to heal. In very rare cases, brown recluse spider bites can cause seizures or comas.

Tarantula Spider Bites

The tarantula, a spider known for its large size and hairy body, has a venomous bite. However, this type of spider bite is very rare, since tarantulas rarely bite humans. Tarantulas only bite when they feel threatened and they tend to live far from humans. In the US, tarantulas are most populous in southern states.

Though tarantula bites are rare, the tarantula does sometimes bite humans. Symptoms of a tarantula bite include localized pain, swelling, redness, and a weal (a raised area that usually itches). Tarantula bites are generally only serious if the person bitten experiences an allergic reaction to the tarantula’s venom.