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Signs & Symptoms of a Brown Recluse Bite

The brown recluse spider is a small, violin-shaped arachnid that is typically the size of an American penny. It is native to the Midwest in the United States. The brown recluse spider, as its name implies, tends to avoid human beings, but it can occasionally bite human skin. While most bites heal by themselves within a week, brown recluse bites can be a potential health hazard. Fortunately, their symptoms are fairly easy to recognize if you know what to look for.

  1. External Symptoms

    • External signs of a brown recluse spider bite are similar to signs of a bite from other spiders. These may include one set of visible fang marks, as recluse spiders rarely bite their victims more than once. Symptoms on the skin may include severe itching and discomfort similar to bee stings, a blistering rash, pain at the site of the fang incisions, inflammation and skin discoloration. As the venom spreads and local tissue death sets in, the inflamed skin can take on a bluish tint just beneath the dermal surface. After a few days, the wound and surrounding swelling become a hard lump, like a hard cyst, before disappearing altogether.

    Systemic Symptoms

    • Some individuals experience systemic symptoms such as allergic reactions or sensitivities to the recluse spider's venom. These are usually present with external symptoms as well. Nausea, vomiting, lethargy, a fever and other symptoms that mimic those of an ordinary systemic infection may accompany a visible bite. Joint pain and general malaise are also common. In worsening cases, the infection could spread to organ systems in the body and cause renal and even pulmonary failure, particularly in individuals with weakened immunological systems, such as children, the elderly and the infirm.

    Severe Complications

    • Though most symptoms of a recluse spider bite clear up on their own within a few days, in about one-third of bite victims the symptoms can turn serious. Some signs of a severe reaction to a bite include nerve paralysis, anaphylaxis (shock), severe infection, gangrene, staph infections and permanent loss of muscle mass because of tissue death. Kidney failure may occur simultaneously as well. The wound may grow up to 10 inches in diameter and cause significant tissue loss and destruction, requiring skin grafts and other medically invasive interventions. In rare cases, a brown recluse spider bite wound left untreated may cause death.

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