Bad Spider Bite Symptoms

Spiders produce venom that aids in the digestion and consumption of prey. Hollow fangs puncture the victim and produce paralyzing effects that vary in severity. Most spider bites are relatively harmless to humans, but a few species are capable of producing potentially life-threatening bites. The symptoms of a dangerous spider bite vary. Understanding the different types of spider bites and their symptoms can help victims determine if medical attention is necessary.

Hobo Spider

• Hobo spider poisoning is called tegenarism.

  The bite of a hobo spider is usually painless and goes undetected for a considerable amount of time. Bite symptoms develop slowly and vary in severity depending on the age and sex of the spider. Young male spiders have been found to cause the worst bites, according to The Hobo Spider website. Physical bite evidence appears as a large red area several centimeters wide. Redness lessens and forms into a small, hardened area similar to a mosquito bite. This red bump blisters and ruptures within 24 to 48 hours after the bite. The bite scabs over within the next couple of days and takes 45 days to three years to heal depending on bite severity. Other physical symptoms include isolated pain and burning, severe headache, disorientation, nausea, lethargy and joint pain. Ischemia is another common symptom, in which venom triggers blood coagulation and results in oxygen deprivation that destroys surrounding tissue.

Brown Recluse

• Brown recluse spider poisoning is referred to as loxoscelism.

  The brown recluse, or fiddle back, is an aggressive spider found in dark indoor corners, closets and isolated areas. A red ring surrounded by a larger white ring forms on the skin after a brown recluse bite and is accompanied by pain, itching and burning for the first 10 minutes. Severe pain, blistering and tissue destruction (skin necrosis) begins to develop after 48 hours. Fever, nausea, chills and body aches accompany the bite. Antibiotics are usually administered to counter bite effects; therefore, medical attention should be sought.

Black Widow

• Black widow spider envenomation is called latrodectism.

  Only female black widow spiders are poisonous to humans. They are distinguished by a characteristic yellow-orange to red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. Bites are identified as two puncture wounds on the skin, and the venom is a neurotoxin that spreads pain from the wound site throughout the body. Pain is usually initially experienced in the back and abdomen, which may later travel to the entire body. Other symptoms include weakness, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, heightened blood pressure and intense anxiety. The bite itself may go unnoticed or feel like a pin prick. Seek immediate medical attention since an envenomated bite has the potential to be fatal.