• What happens when a brown recluse spider bites?

I was wondering what happens when a brown recluse spider bites and how long does it take to heal?

2 Answers

  • Infectious Disease Specialist
  • Orlando, FL

Treatment involves cleaning the area well and taking medicines if needed. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor or nurse might recommend:
●Medicine for pain, such as ibuprofen(sample brand names: Advil, Motrin)

●Medicines to treat muscle spasms, called benzodiazepines

●A tetanus shot – Tetanus is a serious infection that causes muscle spasms and stiffness. It is caused by bacteria that can get in your body through a cut, scrape, or bite.

●Antibiotics – If there are signs of infection (such as a fever, red skin, or pus coming from the bite), a doctor will prescribe antibiotics. But most spider bites do not get infected.

People who have dead tissue because of a bite sometimes need surgery to remove the dead tissue.

If wound gets worse or does not show improvement in 48h should see a physician my take a month to heal

  • Allergist & Immunologist
  • Columbia, MD

The duration of symptoms depends on the depth of the bite, the area of the body where the injury occurred, etc. It is not unusual to have residual symptoms for weeks after such as bite. Because of the toxicity of the bite, it is not unusual for intense inflammation to appear at the site, so if you have worried about the appearance or there is a lot of pain, you need to seek medical attention right away. 

Hope that helps,

Monika Korff, MD

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