The ABC’s of Spider Bites: Protective Measures and First Aid
Treatments
 The fact: all spiders are venomous. Spiders naturally produce and
store venom in their bodies for catching and hunting prey and as their
defense mechanism. But one very important thing that you need to know is
that very few spiders can carry enough venom to actually be a real
danger to humans. There are even spiders that cannot break through and
wound human skin. So the fear of spider bites is therefore totally over
rated. But with this said, it should not be a reason for us not to be
careful in dealing with spiders. Although they are docile and shy
creatures, they will not hesitate to show aggressive behavior once
provoked or threatened.
One thing that we need to watch out for is the venomous spiders that may
contain venom large enough to cause damage to the body. And because we
are no spider experts, we won’t naturally know if the spider bite us is
venomous or not. So if ever you do get bitten, watch out for prolonged
redness, swelling or pain and tightening of the airways. A non-fatal
bite may have similar symptoms but will only last for a few hours.
Dangerous bites on the other hand may persist for several hours and at a
worsening degree.
Once you do get bit by a spider, the next thing that you should do is to
apply cold compress in to the wound while you are in transit to the
medical clinic. This will constrict your blood vessels and prevent
further spread of the venom. It is very important that you bring the
patient as fast as you can to the hospital or the clinic because the
longer the venom stays in the body, the more damage it can bring. But
generally, ordinary spider bites can be left alone. Some bites do leave
out skin infections that can easily be treated with an anti-biotic.
 Dangerous spider venom could either be neurotoxic, which target the
nervous system or necrotic which targets the surrounding tissues and
even the main organs in the body. Venomous spider bites are extremely
dangerous when not given immediate medical attention. And since these
venoms may vary from one spider species to another, it is advisable to
patients bring along the body of the dead spider- of there is any or
simply give the attending medical professionals a description of the
spider that bit you. This way, they can tell what specific anti-venom to
administer.
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