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Please don't send any more photos of supposed spider bites. I can't tell you what may have bitten you, even if you're in a nurse practitioner program at
accredited online colleges, you should go to your
doctor and get it properly diagnosed. Further more, this site is not here to promote the
few bites that people get from spiders but to encourage people to
understand spiders a bit better and how they are of benefit to us. This
includes the fact that of the few people who suffer from spider bites,
many of these aren't spider bites but from something else. Read this report or read
this report on the brown recluse bite if you are interested in
more information.
Click
here
for an article by George
Fiedler on one of the most common infections that is often mistaken for
a recluse bite.
Here's
some pages with photos of spider bites, including the
progression of a supposed Brown Recluse Spider bite and one that the person would
like identified, if anyone can help. Brown Recluse Spiders are also known as Fiddleback spiders or Violin Spiders and
their bite has been believed to cause a very serious reaction.
However, recent theories
tend to dispute
the fact that most of these bites are from the brown recluse. According
to Rick Vetter from the American Arachnological Society - "even if you
have a recluse, bites from them are extremely rare, despite all the
stories. Many of the really graphic nasty wounds you see on the
internet as recluse bites can also be other conditions like necrotizing
bacteria and pyoderma gangrenosum. Ninety percent of brown recluse
bites are not medically significant, heal very nicely often without
medical. intervention and treatment for most brown recluse bites is
simple first aid (RICE therapy – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).
Many conditions are misdiagnosed as recluse bites when their cause is
something else like infection, bad reaction to medication, diabetic
ulcers, Lyme disease, or other underlying medical conditions."
This is not to suggest that anyone should go around handling any spiders
- brown recluse or otherwise - treat all spiders with caution and
respect!!
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Here's an
interesting email with a different sort of treatment for a brown
recluse bite:
10/09/09:
Dear Glen,
In April, I visited a friend in the mountains of Tennessee. While I
was sleeping in the seldom used loft bedroom, I was bitten on the
cheek by a brown recluse spider. This was on a Saturday night. By
Monday morning my face was very swollen, right eye swollen shut, very
red and painful. I was taken to an Instacare type facility and given
antibiotics and an injection of cortisone in my hip. The next day, I
flew home to Sedona, AZ. My face, the swelling, the pain were much
worse. I started calling doctors. Several recommended me to a local
Naturpath who specialized in venomous bites. When I called he said to
come in asap. When I walked in, my bite area was turning a yucky
brownish color, and he said, "Day 5". I said, "yep!".
The treatment was painful - 2 injections of ozone into the bite area.
He told me it would be painful, but not last for long. Then I was
given an IV and went home an hour or so later. The bite area never
got worse or went necrotic. It stayed red for some days and slowly,
over weeks, faded in color and the ache also grew weaker. The venom
had begun to move into my sinus and lymph areas, and this too began
to retract. Now it is September and my cheek looks fine, maybe like a
have a light blush. Occasionally, I feel a twinge in the area of the
bite, and the eye muscles still twitch often, but I feel blessed. I
have talked to many people, doctors and nurses who have seen much
worse, and even the loss of flesh and feet from these bites.
Gael |
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Here's an email with
a bit more info from Becky:
Dear
Glen, I found your site today as part of my work as a teacher.
You have some pics of this man's bite:
http://www.spiderzrule.com/reclusebiteleg.htm.
These are pics of necrosis from what the docs decided was
definitely a brown recluse. See the emed article here. Pics of
Dale's leg are near the bottom:
http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic547.htm
The thumb bite pics at your site (http://www.spiderzrule.com/reclusebitethumb.htm)
looks very much like pics I saw when I was working at Torbitt &
Castleman in Buckner KY. The pics were of a maintenance guy's
thumb. He was working at the plant and reached up under a floor
sweeper when he was bit. News of the bite went around the plant
like wild fire. That guy was on sick leave for a couple of
months...I left the factory before he came back. His friends
told me of the extreme pain he endured. He wanted everyone at
the plant to be more careful so he submitted his pics to the
company intranet. Sincerely, Becky Rathbun |
 About the Brown Recluse:
The body of the brown recluse
is light tan to dark brown in colour. It is about 1/2" to 1/4 " in size. The
males are usually smaller than the females. With leg span included the Brown
Recluse
is about the size of a half dollar. The legs are long, thins and delicate.
They have only six eyes. The most distinguishing mark is the violin like
dark patch on their head with the skinny part of violin pointing toward the
abdomen. They can be found in the south central states of the United States
including Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Alabama, and Oklahoma. In
the home the Brown Recluse seeks secluded areas: around the hot water
heater, in closets, under
beds and furniture. Around the home they can be
found under the porch, in a woodpile, and in the garage. Their lifespan
ranges from 2 to 10 years. Females lay eggs from May to August. It takes a
month for the eggs to hatch. The spider can tolerate temps from near
freezing to over 100 degrees F. (Photo - R. Vetter ©)
Symptoms can be:
* Rarely any pain when bitten.
* Bite site becomes reddened surrounding a raised bump similar to a fire ant
bite with a dark
centre similar to a bulls eye.
* Flu-like symptoms (fever, nausea, chills, aches) .
* Painful ulceration develops.
* Skin and muscle tissue dies, leaving a deep, infected wound that enlarges,
fails to heal or heals slowly. The wound site can be affected for a long
time, even years. This is called Necrosis.
If you have been bitten:
* Wash the area with soap and water.
* Apply ice to reduce swelling and redness.
* Do Not Use Heat.
* Search for spider- take it with you to the doctor for identification.
* Call your doctor .
To Avoid being bitten:
* Shake clothing that has been on the floor or not been worn in a while.
* Wear long sleeves and
gloves when moving boxes or working in storage
areas.
* Wash or check bed linens in beds that have not been slept in for a while.
Click below for some
pages of supposed spider bites. One sent in anonymously, of a bite to the thumb and
another sent in by Dale Losher of Illinois of a bite to his leg and the
most recent one from Tracey in Georgia. I have provided these images as
a public service and do not claim that the stories are true or correct.
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