How to Treat Black Widow Bites

The black widow spider is one of the most poisonous spiders in the United States. It is about half an inch long with a shiny, black, round protruding abdomen and a distinctive red hourglass mark on it. The markings can sometimes be just be in the form of red dots, or may be colored yellow or white. Sometimes, the spider itself may appear brown. Black widows are mostly active at night and prefer to wander in dark places. They can be found in secluded areas of the house such as garage corners and sheds.Female black widows are the only ones who bite humans and they do it if their territories or eggs are disturbed. When the black widow bites, it releases neurotoxin venom, causing manifestations of symptoms that often starts within 20 to 40 minutes after the bite including swelling and pain of the area that was bitten, body pain and severe muscle cramps, abdominal pain and weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting, profuse sweating and chest pain, dizziness or fainting spells may occur on severe cases. Here are some helpful tips to treat black widow bites.

Things You'll Need

• Soap and water
• Ice pack and towel
• Antiseptic solution (Betadine)
• Pain medications

Instructions

1. Try to be calm and immediately apply first aid treatment to the area that was bitten. Wash the site thoroughly with soap and running water.

2. 

   Apply cold compress on the area. Get an ice pack, wrap it with a towel and place it over the bite.

3. Elevate the area of the bite and make sure to refrain from moving it to avoid spreading the venom.

4. 

   Place some mild antiseptic solution (such as Betadine) on the bite to help prevent infection.

5. Take some over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), to help alleviate the pain.

6. 

   Go to the doctor after applying first aid to undergo a more profound treatment. Doctors often provide medications that will help relax muscles and alleviate muscle cramps and body pain. Intravenous supply of calcium gluconate may also be provided to promote relief of symptoms. In some cases, antivenin is administered to help fight the venom--this is often used with patients who are not getting better with other medications, those with underlying medical conditions and children and the elderly.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not attempt to suck out the venom for this will not do any good.

• If possible, assign someone to catch the black widow spider that bit you, and bring it along with you to the doctor. The spider can be killed first before capturing it. But make sure that it’s not too smashed so that it can still be identified.

• Avoid black widow bites by being extra careful when walking around piles of wood, logs or leaves. Make sure to wear gloves when cleaning old furniture or cabinets on attics and basements. Shoes that are placed on the garage for quite awhile should be tapped first before putting them on.