Brown Recluse Bite Treatment: What You Should Do?

Brown recluse bite treatment by a doctor is essential, as th injury can become quite severe. A bite from a brown recluse spider might not hurt, but you might feel a sting at first. In the next several hours, additional symptoms emerge.

The warm climates of the central and southern United States are ideal for brown recluse spiders. They prefer dark, protected places like wood piles, leaf piles, or rock outcrops for their habitats. They could also make their homes under porches or in attics. Sometimes a brown recluse may even take refuge in old shoes or discarded clothing.

The back of a brown recluse spider's head is marked by a dark, violin-shaped patch. The brown recluse spider is easily confused with other brown spiders, as its telltale marking is often difficult to spot.

If you think a brown recluse spider has bitten you, you should seek brown recluse bite treatment right away. Children and the elderly, who often have more severe symptoms, benefit greatly from prompt treatment.

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Brown Recluse Bite Treatment: What do they look like?

The spider's front half is shaped like a violin, with the neck pointing in the direction of the abdomen. Brown recluse spiders are generally tan in color. Possibly larger than typical house spiders, its long legs make it appear even bigger than its quarter- to three-quarter-inch body.

Brown recluse spiders only have six eyes, while most other spiders have eight. It has four totals; two on the front of its head and two on each side.

Most brown recluses live in the South and the Midwest. These spiders are most often found in dark, enclosed indoor spaces. When it's outside, it prefers to stay out of sight, so it hides in places like a log cabin's porch or a rock pile.

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Brown Recluse Bite Symptoms

When bitten by a brown recluse spider, you may not even realize it. Consequently, if you don't feel the spider's legs on your skin, you might not realize you've been bitten. It could hurt a little at first if you feel the bite.

Venom symptoms typically manifest several hours after exposure. After that, you might experience discomfort, burning, or itching at the bite site. The area could turn blood red. The area may also develop a tiny white blister.

You might also experience the following signs and symptoms soon after the bite:

• fever/nausea
• intense itching
• chills
• rashes
• general irritation
• perspiring

Somewhere between 12 and 36 hours after a bite, a distinctive discoloration pattern may appear. The area around the bite site may turn white, and the bite itself may turn a dark purple or blue.

An additional symptom is the appearance of a dark blister or ulcer close to the site of the bite. The bite wound can sometimes grow and fester for weeks. Brown recluse bite treatment by a doctor should be sought immediately to prevent unnecessary complications.

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Brown Recluse Bite Treatment: Stages of Spider Bite

Check out the following stages of the brown reclude spider bite. If brown recluse bite treatment is not taken, the bite may show the following symptoms.

Few Hours after the Bite

• About three to eight hours after the bite, the affected area becomes sensitive and red.
• The area will feel like it's burning.
• The victim's bite mark turns a strange colour. It can look like a bullseye or bruise and turn blue.

3 to 5 days after a bite

• The pain should quickly go away if the spider only injected a tiny amount of its venom.
• If the venom spread, the victim would be in pain for days and develop an ulcer at the bite site.

7 to 14 days after a bite

Sometimes the skin surrounding the ulcer breaks down, forming a wound that may take months to heal.

3 weeks after a bite

• Most bites heal within three weeks.
• The wound is soon covered by a thick, black scab.

Meanwhile, check out these spider bite symptoms to look out for.

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Brown Recluse Bite Treatment: First Aid

If you think you may have been bitten by a brown recluse spider, you should seek brown recluse bite treatment right away.

Attempt to capture the spider, and bring it along with you if at all possible. The identification of the spider can help confirm the diagnosis given by your doctor. Emergency rooms are common places to get a tetanus shot.

The following first aid measures should be taken before visiting a physician or hospital emergency room:

• Use soap and water to clean the bite as soon as possible.
• Place the bitten area above the heart.
• A cool compress or ice pack applied to the bite for ten minutes on and ten minutes off can reduce swelling and pain.

Don't worry about brown recluse spider bites too much; get brown recluse bite treatment if you're bitten. In most cases, a bite will simply heal on its own.

Check out these treatments for spider bites.

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Brown Recluse Bite Treatment

Although brown recluse spider bites can be extremely dangerous, there's currently no recommended antivenom (medication used to treat the effects of venom). Most bites can heal with some time at rest, some ice, and some elevation.

Additional therapies and medications have been used to treat skin complications after a bite. However, none of these therapies have demonstrated robust reliability and efficacy across multiple studies.

These are some of the most common ones:

• drugs called corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation, and the gout medication colchicine (Colcrys, Mitagare)
• antibiotic dapsone that's used to treat Hansen's disease (leprosy)
• antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• hyperbaric oxygen
• nitroglycerin, a heart medication
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil)

Brown recluse bite treatment can also involve the use of antibiotics, but you should consult your doctor for that.