How to Identify Spider Bites

Identify spider bites to ease your mind and educate yourself about nature and its possible dangers. Most spiders can’t harm a human. They may leave a slightly painful or itchy mark, but they can’t seriously harm anyone. Others like the brown recluse spider and the black widow, however, can do a lot of bodily damage to a human. Use this article to identify and rule out dangerous spider bites.

Brown Recluse Spider Bite

One of the most obvious signs of a brown recluse or black widow spider bite is the appearance of a target on the body. At the bite site, there should be a bump surrounded by a reddish, pinkish ring. This looks like the beginning of Lyme disease caused by a tick as well, so you’ll have to look for other symptoms too.

The inside of the bite area remains pale but raised. Since these types of arachnids have very strong jaws, you will be able to see the puncture wounds. You should see two marks side by side.

Other Bodily Symptoms Present

Since the bullseye also signifies a tick bite, victims must also watch their bodies for other tell-tale symptoms of a spider bite to differentiate the two. Usually, extremely poisonous spiders give their victims a lot of pain when they puncture the skin. There are other symptoms, however, to watch for. Along with a burning sensation over the bite area, people also develop a blister in the middle of the target which scabs over a couple of days later. Also, people experience flu-like symptoms which include: headaches, chills, nausea, and a fever.

Harmless Spider Bites

If you want to identify spider bites from other harmless, but annoying bugs, there are a couple of things to look for. Sometimes a fairly harmless bite shows a red line coming from the puncture mark. Also, Since spiders have two distinct fangs, you can usually see two puncture marks right on top of the bite. Even if you can’t identify the irritation, know that most bites give you no more problems than a mosquito welt.

People who spend a lot of time outdoors, hiking in North Carolina or other areas, should know how to identify dangerous spiders and steer clear of them. If they happen to get bitten, however, these individuals should also know how to identify the dangerous bites from the harmless. Make sure to arm yourself with all the knowledge you can to protect yourself and those with you.