All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice. Judith Marcin, MD Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. You will likely need close follow-up to make sure the wound heals properly. It is important to see your doctor if these types of skin changes happen so that you can receive any appropriate vaccinations, medications, or wound care. This is often a sign that skin death, or necrosis, will occur. Within a day the wound may become purple. This includes increased size, redness, pain, and usually blisters. If a skin reaction is going to occur, changes should be seen within a few hours. ![]() Since most brown recluse spider bites result in either no symptoms or only a mild reaction, washing the bite with warm soapy water and patting it dry with a clean cloth is the first step.Īny reaction within a week of the bite that includes fever, chills, rash, yellowing of the skin, paleness, fatigue, dizziness, or vomiting requires immediate medical attention. However, according to spider experts at the University of Florida, if there are no signs of skin changes within 48 to 96 hours, the wound will not become necrotic and should heal properly. If necrosis occurs, it can take several weeks or even months for the wound to heal fully. if the area around the bite becomes more purple in color around 12 to 24 hours after the bite, skin death will likely occur. Over the next 2 to 6 hours, the site of the bite gets bigger, becomes more painful and forms a blister. If a skin reaction is to occur, over the first hour a person may experience the following symptoms around the area of the bite: Most bites occur on the thigh, upper arm, and chest. The bite is usually painless to begin with, and occasionally symptoms will progress with time. Most bites either cause no symptoms at all or only mild reactions.Įxtremely rare complications can occur across the entire body, including acute anemia, blood clotting problems, and kidney failure. In reality, only a small number of bites result in this type of injury. One common myth is that their bite always causes severe wounds and destroys skin tissue. There are many myths about brown recluse spider bites. It is important to check and shake out linen and clothes before using them when living in an area to which these spiders are common, especially if they have not been in recent use. They are not aggressive towards humans and prefer running away to biting.īites occur when the spider gets trapped against the skin, such as in tangled bedsheets or in clothing and shoes. Why do they bite humans?īrown recluse spiders only rarely bite humans and do so out of self-defense. People are also more likely to come into contact with the male spider, which has only half as much venom per bite as a female spider. The venom of a brown recluse can be highly toxic, but the spiders are only able to release a small amount during a bite. If they come indoors, brown recluse spiders prefer closets, attics, basements, and other dark areas of the house. These spiders are most active at night and rest during the day, hidden away in dark areas. The scientific name for this spider is Loxosceles reclusa, which can be translated from Greek as “with slanted legs.” The legs of a brown recluse are long, thin, and covered in small hairs. Unlike other spiders, which typically have eight eyes, brown recluse spiders only have six, arranged in three pairs of two eyes each. This spider is brown and has a darker, violin-shaped spot on its back. ![]() It lives in midwestern and southeastern parts of the U.S. ![]() The brown recluse spider is also known as the violin or fiddle-back spider. Share on Pinterest Brown recluse spiders are highly venomous, but can only release small amounts of venom at a time.
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