The Brown Recluse

This dangerous spider is known scientifically by the name, Loxosceles reclusa. It has gained notoriety in recent years for its status as one of the few species of spiders living on the planet earth that would not hesitate to bite a human.

A brown recluse spider is, as the name suggests, often brown, with a characteristic dark, violin shaped mark on it’s back or dorsum for which it is also sometimes known as the violin or fiddleback spider.

It prefers a dark and enclosed environment, and as a result if you live in a region where the brown recluse is native, you may want to carefully check your slippers and shoes before sliding your feet into them, and pay close attention before putting your hands in small dark places.

Brown recluse spiders have six eyes when compared to the normal spider which has eight, and they appear to have a furry appearance when viewed from a vantage point.

They usually are not any less that 4 millimeters n size but have been recorded to grow larger than 21 millimeters.

It possesses a venom that causes flesh to rot, and, along with the Black Widow and the Chilean Recluse, is one of the three most dangerous spiders in North America, with a bite that is not painful initially, but gradually grows to be.

It’s venom has been shown to possess both hemotoxic and necrotic properties, and has been recorded to cause significant distress and occasionally, death, most commonly in young children.

Brown Recluse spider bites, as previously explained, are not initially painful taking up to four hours before pain is usually felt. Some little irritation or burning sensation is then felt, followed by severe pain, itching, nausea and vomiting.

This could be followed by fever, blistering as well as tissue death around the area of the bite.

Once bitten, patients should Tulane the following measures as first aid before quick presentation to the hospital; take a mild painkiller with anti inflammatory properties, put ice on the wound to reduce swelling, try to stay calm to reduce the spread of the toxin in your circulatory system.

To eliminate the possible of more serious side effects, anyone suspected to have been bitten by a Brown Recluse spider should seek immediate medical help. Doctors would want to establish that the bite was indeed from a Brown Recluse Spider, as well as rule out the possibility of anaphylactic shock and further complications.

While blood tests are usually not necessary, they may be indicated in cases where the symptoms have become generalized.

Typically, an overwhelming number of Brown Recluse Spider bites do not prove fatal, and aside from the pain and tissue scarring, people usually escape unscathed.