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May 11, 2023 · Symptoms of a Black Widow Spider Bite. The black widow spider makes a venom that affects your nervous system. Some people are slightly affected by it, but others may have a serious response.
Nov 9, 2023 · How is a black widow spider bite treated? Treatment for a black widow spider bite may include: Muscle relaxers and sedatives, to help relieve muscle pain and spasms. Analgesics, to help reduce pain. Antivenom, to help reverse the effects of the venom, including bodywide muscle cramping. Black widow bites are serious.
- Overview
- Causes: Why do they bite?
- Appearance: What does a bite look like?
- Symptoms
- Risk factors and complications
- Emergency response
- Medical treatment
- Prevention
- Outlook
The black widow spider is probably the most venomous spider in North America. Although a black widow’s bite can be harmful, it is rarely fatal.
Black widows thrive in temperate climates, so they are most common in the south and western regions of the United States. People may find them in grape vineyards, outdoor toilets, or in other sheltered areas where debris builds up. These areas are perfect for the spiders to build webs and trap prey.
The black widow is famous for its name, given because the female spiders are known to kill and eat males sometimes after mating. Its shiny black body is also easily recognizable.
People can easily tell it apart from other spiders because the black widow has a reddish hourglass-shaped mark on its body. It can also have red and white stripes or spots on the upper part of its body.
Black widow spiders are not often aggressive. They most commonly bite people out of self-defense. Some experts would call the spider shy, as it would rather choose not to bite humans.
“They have no reason to bite us unless they’re threatened,” says Catherine Scott, an arachnologist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, in a Live Science interview. “We pose a much greater threat to them than they do to us.”
Simply coming into close contact with a black widow isn’t necessarily dangerous. Their bite is usually defensive.
People are most at risk for getting bitten when they squeeze or pinch the spider’s body, according to one study published in 2014.
The authors found that even repeated poking was not enough to cause a bite, but accidentally sitting on or grabbing a black widow when reaching for something else can lead to a bite.
Nevertheless, it is best not to touch the black widow with bare hands, and the best way to avoid a bite is to avoid touching the spider altogether.
All spiders have hollow fangs to inject venom into their prey. Most spiders’ fangs are not strong or long enough to break human skin. The black widow’s fangs are different, however.
According to the United States Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a person may notice some pain when the spider bites, or they may not notice anything at all. Sometimes, two red puncture marks will be visible.
According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, not all black widow bites are venomous.
Firstly, only the females will bite. In addition, venom is precious to a spider. The spider will choose when to inject venom and how much, if at all. The black widow saves its venom for when it feels its life is in danger.
A nonvenomous bite may not cause symptoms. The symptoms of a venomous bite may not be visible at first, but they can develop later.
Along with some pain and swelling at the bite site, the following symptoms can occur with a black widow’s bite.
They may take several hours to appear:
•rash or itching
A black widow’s bite can be venomous, but many people experience few or no health complications.
In 2013, people reported around 1,866 black widow bites to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Only 14 of them resulted in severe symptoms, and none were fatal.
However, a black widow’s bite can be life-threatening for:
•children
•older people
•those with other health conditions
If someone begins to experience symptoms or notices they have been bitten by a black widow, they or someone who is with them should contact the emergency medical services immediately.
They may also be able to call a local poison center.
•The following information may be useful for doctors to know:
•the age and weight of the person with the bite
•how they are feeling and whether or not they have any other health problems
•when they were bitten
After arriving at the hospital, a doctor or nurse will take vital signs, including their temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and breathing rate.
In some cases, the doctor will order tests, such as:
•a urine test
•a blood test
•a chest or upper body X-ray
•an electrocardiogram (EKG)
Black widow spiders do not usually live in people’s houses, but they are relatively common in the United States in yards, woodpiles, sheds, and so on.
They may also be present at campgrounds and other outdoor locations. People who work outside should be careful to avoid them.
Tips for reducing the risk include:
•shaking out all shoes, clothing, and blankets before use, especially if they have been in storage for a while
•applying insect repellant to clothes and shoes
•using gloves and clothes that cover the body while cleaning out woodpiles and outhouses
Severe symptoms will improve within a few days. Milder symptoms can last for a few weeks.
The individual will be able to go home as the doctor sees fit.
- Foram Mehta
Dec 13, 2018 · Symptoms. Causes. Treatments. If you suspect you’ve been bitten by a black widow spider, seek immediate medical attention. While these bites typically aren’t life threatening, they require...
Jun 30, 2022 · Overview. What happens after a bite? Identifying a bite. Pictures. Symptoms. First aid. Seeking medical help. Treatment. Outlook. Preventing bites. Summary. Black widow spiders are one of the more infamous invertebrates due to their venomous bite. Black widow bites can administer venom, which contains neurotoxins, to the blood.
Jul 30, 2021 · Black widow identification. Some clues for identifying black widow spiders include: Shiny black body with long legs. Red hourglass shape on the belly. Length of entire body, including legs, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across.
May 6, 2024 · What are the signs and symptoms of a black widow spider bite? A sharp pain like a pinprick, or pain that spreads from the bite area to other areas; Red, numb, tingling, stinging, or burning skin at the bite area; A rash or itching at the bite area; Swollen skin at the bite area, or swollen eyelids; Muscle cramps or spasms, weakness, or trouble ...
