Brown Recluse Bite Symptoms

Most people fear the bite of the black widow spider, but are not familiar with the black recluse, also known as Loxosceles reclusa. These guys are just as deadly, and their bites can cause severe damaging effects on victims. They're known for their violin-like (fiddleback spiders) patterns that come at the top of their head, on the back of the cephalothorax where the front legs are attached. These spiders are yellowish in color, or dark brown with legs sporting an even darker shade of brown.

These spiders are hairless and are classified under the genus Loxosceles, translating into 'six eyes'. While most spiders have eight eyes, this one comes with six. Bites occur when the spiders are provoked, or when held against the force of one's skin, like say while sleeping or laying your arm across an area the spider may be on. Brown recluse spiders can be found in dark spaces like attics, barns, basements, closets, woodpiles, porches and any place that is warm and dark, but dry.

Symptoms of a Brown Recluse Bite

The symptoms of a brown recluse bite aren't noticeable until much later, since bites aren't painful once inflicted. Some burning sensation is felt, like that of a bee sting, but other than that, nothing too severe in terms of pain. It takes a bite a period of two to eight hours to reveal the effects of it.

• Itching that is severe.
• Nausea
• Bite turns very painful, after a four-hour lapse.
• Fever
• Muscle pain (myalgias)
• Vomiting sensation
• First sign of the bite, is that the area becomes slightly red, with small fang marks.
• Depending on how each person reacts, some people heal from these bites with little scars.
• Reaction can be severe in other cases, like erythema (inflammation that looks like sunburn), leading to a blue discolored patch of skin, and a neurotic lesion with scarring.
• Blistering
• Restlessness
• Chills
• Some go into shock.
• Bites can turn blue-gray or blue-white, with a hollow skin patch that has ragged edges.

Aftereffects of a Brown Recluse Bite

The bites are said to be even deadlier than that of a venomous snake; although venom is lesser in quantity when bitten by a spider than a snake. The venom is toxic to cells and tissues and causes considerable damage to the victim's system. Here are the following effects that one will experience when it gets out of control if the bite is untreated for days.

• The venom which is a collection of enzymes, starts to release itself into the skin ultimately causing damage to cell membranes, breaking down blood vessels, tissue and fat.
• The area around the bite showcases a process known as eventual tissue death (necrosis), which is identifiable around the bite area.
• Low platelet count is evident.
• Red blood cells are destroyed.
• Can put one into a coma.
• Leads to kidney damage (acute renal failure).
• Blood clotting ability ceases to repair damage.
• Can lead to death of the victim.

The appropriate time to seek medical help is to immediately see a doctor, when you notice reddening patches on any part of your body. If you happen to see the brown recluse spider, it is important to describe it to the doctor so he / she knows what they're dealing with. It is of utmost importance to seek help as swiftly as possible.

Preventive Measures

There are ways to protect yourself and others, from allowing these spiders to enter your homes, and also avoiding them from causing harm when they're present indoors.

• Check places where the spider could possibly be hidden like towels, shoes, clothing, bedding, gloves, socks and so on.
• When handling wood, always wear gloves, since these spiders tend to crawl into crevices of the wood.
• Cardboard boxes have little openings, where these brown recluse spiders can enter through, so be careful when handling these. Tape the edges well to avoid them from entering boxes.
• Inspect bed sheets and keep beds away from walls or windows.
• Stuff cracks or openings up, where spiders may be able to slip through, repair screen door holes or tears in them, mend cracks in window panes and so on.
• Make sure doors are sealed tight against the frame, to avoid them from crawling past them.
• Use sodium vapor light bulbs or even sodium bulbs to attract less insects, to avoid spiders from coming to eat them.
• Spring clean every now and then to give your closed spaces a good cleaning job to eliminate them from multiplying.
• Get rid of all old items, and musty ones to avoid spiders from accumulating.
• Don't keep wood piles close to the house, to avoid them from entering.
• Use sticky glue traps to get rid of spiders that already may be inside the house.
• Vacuum at least thrice a week to remove anything that may be embedded in the carpet like eggs or webs.
• Kill spiders or spray them whenever you find one crawling about, to avoid spider bites.

Remember not to ignore any symptoms of being possibly bitten by this spider, and get it checked out as soon as possible without leaving room for it to escalate to something worse.