Brown Recluse Spider Bites
Most spiders are generally harmless. In fact, out of the 20,000 odd species of spiders that inhabit the United States, only 60 are capable of causing damage to humans. Within this small group, only four species of spiders are dangerous: the black widow, the aggressive house spider, the yellow sac spider and the brown recluse spider. And, only the black widow and the brown recluse spider have been associated with disease and death.
However, deaths caused due to brown recluse spider bites have only been reported in very small children, especially children that are younger than 7 years. Brown recluse spiders are native to the Southeastern and Midwestern states. Outside these areas, documented reports of brown recluse spider sightings are extremely rare. Less than 10 of these spiders have been collected outside these native states. Most of these false sightings are caused due to confusion with any of the other 13 species that are also found in the same family.
The most common type of non-brown recluse spiders found are the desert recluse spiders and the Arizona Recluse spiders in Arizona, Texas and California. No deaths however have been reported from these non-brown recluse spiders. Bites from these spiders will only produce mild to moderate skin diseases.
The brown recluse spider is notable for its characteristic violin pattern on the back of the cepalothorax, which is that part of the body where the legs are attached. This violin pattern is generally seen with the violin pointing towards the rear.
These non-hairy spiders are small and are dark brown to tan to yellow in color with legs that are darker. Along with their legs, they measure about 1 inch in length. Loxosceles is the name of their genus, which means having six eyes. Most species of spiders have 8 eyes. But still this unique feature of the brown recluse spider is entirely lost to the casual observer because its eyes are extremely small and are not visible to the naked eye.
Brown recluse spiders are usually not aggressive and tend to bite only when they feel cornered or threatened, especially if they happen to be pressed up hard against the victim’s bare skin. They prefer staying in dark, dry and warm environments like closets, attics, porches, basements, barns, old tires and woodpiles. The spider web that is small and haphazardly formed is not generally used to catch the spider’s prey. Most brown recluse spider bites take place during the long and warm summer months.
Symptoms of Brown Recluse Spider Bites
More often than not, brown recluse spider bites tend to go unnoticed since they are generally painless. However, on some occasions, people bitten by these spiders will experience a minor burning sensation that feels more or less like a bee sting. The classic brown recluse spider bite symptoms will develop anywhere from two to eight hours after the bite occurs. It is important to note that most brown recluse bites cause very little tissue damage. These are the common symptoms that most victims will experience:
Most of the really ghastly, graphic images of the nasty wounds caused by recluse bites that you see on the Internet can also be caused due to other conditions like pyoderma gangrenosum and necrotizing bacteria. More than 90% of brown recluse spider bites are not significant medically and heal very easily without any medical attention. Treatment for these bites consists of simple and basic first aid like the RICE therapy (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). Many conditions have also been misdiagnosed in the past as recluse bites when their actually cause could be due to other reasons like an allergic reaction to medication, infection, Lyme disease, diabetic ulcers or many other underlying medical conditions.
However, this does not go to suggest that anyone and everyone can handle any kind of spider – be it a brown recluse or any other species. Remember, treat all spiders with respect and caution, or the consequences could be dire.
The most common type of non-brown recluse spiders found are the desert recluse spiders and the Arizona Recluse spiders in Arizona, Texas and California. No deaths however have been reported from these non-brown recluse spiders. Bites from these spiders will only produce mild to moderate skin diseases.
The brown recluse spider is notable for its characteristic violin pattern on the back of the cepalothorax, which is that part of the body where the legs are attached. This violin pattern is generally seen with the violin pointing towards the rear.
These non-hairy spiders are small and are dark brown to tan to yellow in color with legs that are darker. Along with their legs, they measure about 1 inch in length. Loxosceles is the name of their genus, which means having six eyes. Most species of spiders have 8 eyes. But still this unique feature of the brown recluse spider is entirely lost to the casual observer because its eyes are extremely small and are not visible to the naked eye.
Brown recluse spiders are usually not aggressive and tend to bite only when they feel cornered or threatened, especially if they happen to be pressed up hard against the victim’s bare skin. They prefer staying in dark, dry and warm environments like closets, attics, porches, basements, barns, old tires and woodpiles. The spider web that is small and haphazardly formed is not generally used to catch the spider’s prey. Most brown recluse spider bites take place during the long and warm summer months.
Symptoms of Brown Recluse Spider Bites
More often than not, brown recluse spider bites tend to go unnoticed since they are generally painless. However, on some occasions, people bitten by these spiders will experience a minor burning sensation that feels more or less like a bee sting. The classic brown recluse spider bite symptoms will develop anywhere from two to eight hours after the bite occurs. It is important to note that most brown recluse bites cause very little tissue damage. These are the common symptoms that most victims will experience:
- Severe pain at the site of the bite around four hours after the bite takes place.
- Severe itching.
- Vomiting or nausea.
- High fever.
- Myalgia or muscle pain.
- Initially, the bite will only be mildly red but if you inspect the bite site closely, you’ll notice the fang marks left behind. After a while, the bite site becomes hard and firm and once treated will heal with very little scarring over the next couple of days or weeks. In rare cases, people have suffered from much more severe reactions like blistering and erythema that sometimes leads to a bluish discoloration that results in permanent scarring or necrotic lesions.
- Blistering is a very common symptom.
- Necrosis or death of skin is more common than the necrosis of the subcutaneous fat, which is a rare symptom.
- In rare cases, severe necrotic lesions are formed with deep and wide borders and these are very destructive.
Most of the really ghastly, graphic images of the nasty wounds caused by recluse bites that you see on the Internet can also be caused due to other conditions like pyoderma gangrenosum and necrotizing bacteria. More than 90% of brown recluse spider bites are not significant medically and heal very easily without any medical attention. Treatment for these bites consists of simple and basic first aid like the RICE therapy (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). Many conditions have also been misdiagnosed in the past as recluse bites when their actually cause could be due to other reasons like an allergic reaction to medication, infection, Lyme disease, diabetic ulcers or many other underlying medical conditions.
However, this does not go to suggest that anyone and everyone can handle any kind of spider – be it a brown recluse or any other species. Remember, treat all spiders with respect and caution, or the consequences could be dire.
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
