Spider Bite First Aid
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 60, Word Count: 671,
You need to know the first aid of spider bite as it is dangerous if ignored. If you are camping in a jungle, then you must carry a first aid box as some species of spiders are really dangerous. Spiders are known as active hunters and generally they bite their prey to paralyze before consuming it. They can also bite in self defense. Almost all spiders are venomous, so it is better to start treatment after the spider bites you. Some spiders’ venom doesn’t show any effect on humans. These bites go unnoticed, but you feel pain afterwards. Generally, spiders do not attack animals which are bigger in size. They attack them sometimes for self defense or sometimes mistakenly assume human finger as their prey. Small species of spiders are not dangerous to humans; only large species of spiders which have longer chelicerae can enter into human skin.
Most of the species found in United States are harmless. Only Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders are harmful to humans. These species are generally found in warm climatic conditions.
The Brown Recluse spider is only one inch long in length and has a violin shaped mark on its back. That’s why this spider is also known as Violin Spider. Like all other spiders, recluse spiders are found in warm and dry climates. They take shelter in undisturbed locations like basements, closets etc. Recluse spiders are not aggressive in nature, but they attack in self defense. The venom of this spider is harmful to humans and can cause death in extreme situations. Venom from the brown recluse spider causes tissue damage. Here are some symptoms of spider bite:
- You can see rashes in that particular area where the spider bites. You can also feel the burning of skin around the bite. You can also feel itchy near that area with some redness.
- You can feel severe headache along with body aches
- There are chances of fever along with nausea or vomiting
- You may discover a purple area around the bite, which is surrounded by white ring and large outer ring.
You will experience these symptoms few hours after getting bitten or immediately, depends on the power of the venom. For the symptoms mentioned above, you can try the following remedies in order to avoid further complications. Please note that these are the first aid procedures and the real treatment should be determined by the doctor. Here are some things you can do after been bitten by a spider:
- Wash the area by soap and clean water
- Apply cold ice bag or wet cloth to the surface
- Remove the ice bag or wet cloth and dry the surface with a clean cloth. After that, apply some antibiotic lotion to protect against any kind of infection.
- Give some pain killers to overcome pain
- Take a cloth which is lengthy enough to tie it around the biting spot. While tying a knot, make sure that you are you are restricting the venom to spread further in body through blood. Also, it prevents further body parts from swelling.
- Now, take the patient to the emergency centre of a nearest hospital
- The doctor will check the severity of the bite and start further treatment
- If the patient is a small child, then you should take quick actions to prevent complications. It can be serious if not treated within time. Delay in hospital treatment can be dangerous for children.
Spider bite first aid includes all the steps mentioned above. Spider bite can be dangerous if ignored. So it is always better to hospitalize the patient after doing first aid
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT
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