In this Article

• Are spider bites dangerous?
• What are the symptoms of spider bites?
• Black widow spider bite symptoms (picture of black widow)
• Brown recluse spider bite symptoms (picture of brown recluse spider)
• What should you do if you are bitten by a spider?
• What should you do if you are bitten by a black widow or brown recluse spider?
• Spider Bites At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Spider Bites: Type of Spider and Reaction
• Spider Bites (Black Widow and Brown Recluse) Glossary
• Spider Bites (Black Widow and Brown Recluse) Index

Brown recluse spider bite symptoms

The bite of a brown recluse spider leads to a mild stinging, followed by local redness and severe pain that usually develops within eight hours but may occur later. Some reports of brown recluse bites describe a blue or purple area around the bite, surrounded by a whitish ring and large red outer ring in a "bull's eye" pattern. A fluid-filled blister forms at the site and then sloughs off to reveal a deep ulcer that may turn black.

Picture of a brown recluse spider. Note the violin pattern on the cephalothorax and light-colored hairless abdomen.

Picture of a brown recluse spider

Picture of a brown recluse spider head close-up

Generalized symptoms of bites from black widow and brown recluse spiders may include:

• fever,
  
  
• nausea,
  
  
• vomiting ,
  
  
• headache,
  
  
• abdominal pain,
  
  
• joint pain or stiffness,
  
  
• overall feelings of malaise,
  
  
• rash, and
  
  
• muscle cramping or tension.

While black widow spider bites are hardly ever fatal, rare deaths have occurred from brown recluse spider bites and are more common in children than in adults.

If a spider was not observed inflicting the bite, it is difficult if not impossible to determine whether a spider bite occurred, since many conditions of the skin may produce the same symptoms as a spider bite. Streptococcal and Staphylococcal infections, early lesions of herpes simplex or zoster, burns, stings or bites from other arthropods or insects (including fleas, bedbugs, mosquitos, biting flies, ants, and ticks), thorn injury, and early Lyme disease all may be characterized by skin findings similar to those from a spider bite. Researchers have found that up to 80% of reported spider bites could have reasonably been due to other causes.

Spider Bites: Type of Spider and Reaction

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• Bed Bugs - Learn what bed bugs (Cimicidae) look like, how they spread, how to treat, kill and detect an infestation (at home, hotel), where they come from and bite symptoms.
• Abdominal Pain - Learn about abdominal pain (pain in the stomach / abdomen) including causes, symptoms, how abdominal pain is diagnosed, and how abdominal pain is treated.
• Rash - Learn about rash causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Common skin rashes include poison ivy, hives, shingles, eczema, contact dermatitis, ringworm, psoriasis and impetigo.

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