Brown recluse spider bite

Brown recluse spider bite

Brown recluse spider bite are often painless and mostly go un-felt, in some cases there may be some slight burning felt at the bite site but not in all cases …

Some brown recluse spider bite may feel like a little pinprick, the brown recluse spider bite reaction can depend on a number of factors as to what symptoms (if any) can occur. Not all bites cause envenomation as there can be “dry bites” in the case of brown recluse spider bite where there is no venom at all. The same can be said for some cases of snake bite, however ALL bites should be treated as potential risks.

Depending on the amount of venom delivered in a brown recluse spider bite,
the victims immune systems efficiency, resistance to an allergic reaction to certain proteins in brown recluse spider venom will all determine the outcome of symptoms experienced from a brown recluse spider bite.

The bite site may appear at first as a red discoloration, common signs of brown recluse spider bite to look for are blistering around the bite site, some individuals are totally unaffected by a brown recluse spider bite.

Brown recluse spider bite/ venom

The venom of the brown recluse spider is hemotoxic, hematotoxin being one of the components of the brown recluse spider venom, hematotoxins destroy red blood cells and disrupt blood clotting.

There are several other different species of brown recluse spiders in the Loxosceles genus but they are not as venomous as the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) it is interesting to note the word Loxosceles as in the brown recluses genus means “six eyes” or to have “six eyes”

How to avoid brown recluse spider bite

Set out below are some tips that may help to avoid potential brown recluse spider bite ……………

The brown recluse spider is rarely aggressive and prefers to avoid confrontation and is a shy non confrontational species and bites very rarely. Brown recluse spider bite usually occurs when the spider is hiding in clothing or on the floor and the article of clothing is put on brushing the spider up against the skin, the spider sees this as a threat and then bites to avoid being crushed, in the case of brown recluse spider bite in this scenario it is purely a defensive bite.

Brown recluse spider fangs are extremely tiny and would be hard pressed to penetrate through a jumper, or a cotton shirt or pair of socks, it is only when the spider comes into contact with the bare skin is when brown recluse spider bite actually occurs.

Other areas to avoid potential brown recluse spider bite to watch out for are in boots,  inside work gloves, in toilets, the brown recluse see these as a perfect, dark little hideaway where they will feel safe. Be sure to bring in all boots from off the porch/ balcony and bring them indoors where there is less chance of a brown recluse taking up residence in them and increasing the risk of brown recluse spider bite.

Brown recluse spider bite misdiagnoses

Deaths from brown recluse spider bite have been reported in children only that were younger than seven years, no deaths from brown recluse spider bites have been recorded in adults.

It is said that 80% of reported brown recluse spider bite may be misdiagnosed. There is a long list of infections that could be easily misdiagnosed as brown recluse spider bite such as vasculitis, sporotrichosis, epidermal necrolysis, and any number of staphylococcus infections. A good number of these conditions are far more common than a brown recluse spider bite, the two most commonly misdiagnosed conditions being Lyme disease which is caused by tick venom and Staphylococcus aureus.

Where do brown recluse spiders live?

Brown Recluse spiders are only found in the Southeastern parts of the United States, from the southern Midwest, south to the Gulf of Mexico, there are no brown recluse spiders in California, although there are a few spiders in California that look like brown recluse. The brown recluse spider location map will give a good reference as to where to expect to find the brown recluse spider.

Brown recluse spider habitat

Where do brown recluse spiders live?

The brown recluse lives indoors and outdoors. It seeks dark secretive places, such as cracks in brickwork, curtains,and furniture, hollow logs etc, the brown recluse builds irregular webs consisting of a mass of disorderly threads of very sticky, off white to gray in color threads. Poking around in such places and harassing the brown recluse spider will most likely lead to a brown recluse spider bite.

The brown recluse spider roams around at night in search of insect prey items, it is also believed they are largely a carrion feeder, or scavenger, when indoors they are most likely to be found in most areas of the home as long as it is quite and relatively dark and un- disturbed.

It is fairly common for a brown recluse to become trapped in the bathtub where it was probably following a prey item and fell in by accident and the glazed slippery surface in some bathtubs make it virtually impossible for them to get back out, Brown recluse spider bite may occur when people try to remove the spider from the tub!

The below video is a prime example of how the wrong diagnoses can lead to hysteria, this is not a result of a Brown recluse spider bite.

WARNING the following video is fairly graphic and contains course language, viewer discretion is advised.

 

Brown recluse spider bite pics, source wiki