are bites from a brown recluse spider rare? who can help me ...

Dear Jimmy,
No these are NOT rare,
< border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="400"> <><>

Brown Recluse Spider Bite Overview

<>Images available only to Customers.

<> < colspan="3">Images available only to Customers.

<> <>Images available only to Customers.

< ="main">

Most spiders are absolutely harmless to humans. In fact, of the 20,000 different species of spiders that inhabit the Americas, only 60 are capable of biting humans. Within that small group, only 4 are known to be dangerous to humans: brown recluse, black widow, hobo or aggressive house spider, and the yellow sac spider. Within this select group, only the brown recluse and the black widow spider have ever been associated with significant disease and very rare reports of death.

• Deaths from brown recluse spiders have been reported only in children younger than 7 years. Brown recluse spiders are native to the Midwestern and Southeastern states. Documented populations of brown recluse spiders outside these areas are extremely rare. Fewer than 10 individual spiders have ever been collected outside of these native states. Most false sightings are due to confusion with 1 of the 13 other species found in the same family.
  
  
  • The most common non–brown recluse spiders are the desert recluse found in Texas, Arizona, and California and the Arizona recluse. No deaths have ever been reported from non–brown recluse spiders. Bites from these cousins produce mild to moderate local skin disease.
  
  
• Features: Brown recluse spiders are notable for their characteristic violin pattern on the back of the cephalothorax—the body part to which the legs attach. The violin pattern is seen with the base of the violin at the head of the spider and the neck of the violin pointing to the rear. These small nonhairy spiders are yellowish-tan to dark brown in color with darker legs. They measure with legs about 1 inch in length. The name of the genus, Loxosceles means 6 eyes. Most other spiders have 8 eyes. Yet this unique feature of the brown recluse is lost on the casual observer because the eyes are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
  
  
• Habits: These spiders are not aggressive and bite only when threatened, usually when pressed up against the victim’s skin. They seek out dark, warm, dry environments such as attics, closets, porches, barns, basements, woodpiles, and old tires. Its small, haphazard web, found mostly in corners and crevices, is not used to capture prey. Most bites occur in the summer months. Most brown recluse spiders are found living in great numbers.

Brown recluse spider bites often go unnoticed initially because they are usually painless bites. Occasionally, some minor burning that feels like a bee is noticed at the time of the bite. Symptoms usually develop 2-8 hours after a bite. Keep in mind that most bites cause little tissue destruction.

• Victims may experience these symptoms:
  
  
  • Severe pain at bite site after about 4 hours
    
    
  • Severe itching
    
    
  • Nausea
    
    
  • Vomiting
    
    
  • Fever
    
    
  • Myalgias (muscle pain)
  
  
• Initially the bite site is mildly red and upon close inspection may reveal fang marks. Within a few hours, the redness gives way to pallor with a red ring surrounding the area, or a "bull's-eye" appearance. The lesion will often appear to flow downhill over the course of many hours. The center area will then often blister, which over 12-48 hours can sink, turning bluish then black as this area of tissue dies. The wound can appear like the following:
  
  
  • Bull's-eye appearance (common) (Note: If you live in an area where Lyme disease is common (Northeastern states), then this type of lesion is more likely caused by tick-borne Lyme disease than a brown recluse spider bite.)
    
    
  • Blistering (common)
    
    
  • Necrosis (death) of skin and subcutaneous fat (less common)
    
    
  • Severe destructive necrotic lesions with deep wide borders (rare)
  
  < border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="400"> <><>

  When to Seek Medical Care

  <>Images available only to Customers.
  
  <> < colspan="3">Images available only to Customers.
  
  <> <>Images available only to Customers.
  
  < ="main">

  If you think you have been bitten by a brown recluse spider, then you should be seen by your doctor that day. If possible, bring the spider in question with you to your doctor’s office. Identification of the spider is very helpful in making the correct diagnosis.

  If you are unable to be seen by your doctor that day, you should seek care at your hospital's Emergency Department
  

• Home first aid care is simple.
  
  

• Do these techniques:
  
  
  • Apply ice to decrease pain and swelling.
    
    
  • Elevate area if possible above the level of your heart.
    
    
  • Wash the area thoroughly with cool water and mild soap.
    
    
  • Avoid any strenuous activity because this can spread the spider’s venom in your skin.
    
    
  • Use ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve or Naprosyn), or other anti-inflammatories for pain relief.
  
  
• Don’t do these techniques:
  
  
  • Do not place any heat to the area. This will accelerate tissue destruction.
    
    
  • Do not apply any steroid creams to the area such as hydrocortisone cream.
    
    
  • Do not attempt to remove the spider venom with suction devices or cut out the affected tissue.
    
    
  • Do not apply electricity to the area. Anecdotal reports of high voltage electrotherapy from common stun guns have never been shown to be effective in any scientific studies. This can also cause secondary burns and deepen tissue destruction.

|Medical Treatment|

• After initial evaluation, your doctor may provide the following treatment:
  
  
  • Tetanus immunization
    
    
  • Pain medication
    
    
  • Antibiotics
    
    
  • Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for itch relief
  
  
• There is no antivenom available in the United States to counteract the poisonous venom of the brown recluse spider. Controversial therapies include steroids and the drug dapsone (Avlosulfon). These are often reserved for people with severe systemic disease (such as certain types of anemia, blood clotting problems, and kidney failure). The therapies have little proven benefit.
  
  
• You will follow-up with your doctor because most wounds will need to be checked daily for at least 3-4 days. Necrotic lesions will need close follow-up. The doctor may carefully remove dead tissue in necrotic areas to reduce secondary bacterial infections.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/10729-6.asp
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/brownrecluse.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html

Do let me know if you need more information, please remember to 'accept' the reply if you find it useful; a positive rating & a bonus at your discretion would be appreciated,

Regards

Dr. Gupta

unsatisifyed, material copied from the net. Hopeing for some personal advice from some who knows what I am going through. To most people I meet ( incl. my Dr.s ) this is superficial and minute. In reality, the longer the infection infultraites my system, the less likely my recovery will be a sucess

-jimmy

Dear Jimmy,
I have no idea what you are going through, since you have not specified the same in your query,
regards
Dr. Gupta

Dear Dr. Gupta,
Thank you again for the reply but this still does not answer my question. I want to know where to go when my doctors don't know how to treat this bite. The bite site has been excised twice and it is only getting worse. What other methods of treatment should we try?

thanks again,
jimmy

Hello

Have you tried a specialist? You might want to contact an epidemiologist, or an infectious disease doctor.

What treatments have you already tried?

Thanks in advance,

Kerry

__________________
Kerry, RN
Please click the accept button if this has helped you. A bonus is always appreciated as well.