As part of their natural defenses, spiders possess the ability to bite. When a spider feels threatened by a human it may bite. While most spider bites are harmless and barely noticed, around one percent of all spider bites can result in everything from major irritations to fatality.
Considerations
Spiders are predators that consume other animals. When a spider bites its prey, it injects venom into the victim's body to either paralyze or kill it. While most spider venom is not harmful to people, there are a few species of spiders with venom powerful enough to affect the human body. Spiders possess fangs, equivalent to hypodermic needles, that inject venom into the flesh of the victim. However, the majority of spiders do not have fangs even capable of piercing human skin. Spiders can generally control the amount of venom delivered through the fangs, using a little to subdue a small insect or as much as possible when defending itself from a human threat. Usually, spiders bite humans when they are stepped on, brushed up against, or trapped inside clothing near the skin.
Types
There are several types of spiders that have been identified with the ability to deliver painful and dangerous spider bites to humans. Among the most well-known are the Australian venomous funnel-web spiders, tangle-web spiders, black widow spiders, brown house spiders, recluse spiders, six-eyed sand spiders, mouse spiders, true tarantulas, yellow sac spiders, huntsman spiders and the redback jumping spiders.
Effects
When a spider bites a human, the biggest concern is how the venom will affect the body. The effects are dependent on the type of spider venom: necrotic or neurotoxic. Necrotic venom works to destroy the tissue surrounding the bite area and attack vital organs. Symptoms include severe lesions, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain as the venom creates severe systemic reactions and sometimes death. Neurotoxic venom affects the nervious system and slowly renders vital systems inoperable. Symptoms include trouble breathing, severe abdominal cramps, dizziness and sometimes death.
Significance
treating a venomous spider bite depends on the type of spider involved. Medical experts cannot identify the type of spider from the bite alone or from the symptoms the victim experiences. Minor bites can be treated with topical antiseptics and ice to relieve inflammation. Neurotoxic spider bites can be treated by medical professionals using various techniques to treat the symptoms, such as antibiotics and antivenom. For less severe necrotic bites, there is little that medical personnel can do beyond elevation, immobilization and the application of antihistamines and antivenom. Severe symptoms may use a medicine called dapsone, nytroglicerine patches, vasodilation and antivenom.
Misconceptions
Many people fear that receiving a spider bite means instant and painful death, when in reality even the most venomous spider bites will take several hours to kill a healthy adult. As long as the victim receives proper medical attention, they can expect a full, if painful, recovery. Those most likely to die from venomous spider bites are very small children or those in remote locations too far away to receive medical help. Also, remember that spiders are not poisonous; they are venomous.
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