What To Do When You Get A Spider Bite

Camila Farah

Prevention of spider bite to prevent spider bites wear a long sleeve shirt and pants a hat gloves and boots when handling stored boxes or firewood. This helps to reduce the risk of infection. For nonvenomous spider bites follow these steps.

Contact a doctor or poison control center as soon as possible.

Here are the steps to treating a spider bite at home. You may find a cold. Bites from most non poisonous spiders cause local redness irritation and pain that usually can be treated at home using an over the counter pain reliever along with application of cooling packs or a wet cloth to relieve swelling. Common spider bites symptoms include.

Avoid scratching the spider bite area. Inspect and shake out gardening tools that have not been in use for a while. Keep the bite area above the level of your heart to help decrease redness and swelling. Keep insects and spiders out of the house by installing tightfitting screens on windows and doors sealing cracks where spiders can come in and using safe indoor insecticides.

Be extra careful when cleaning out sheds garages basements attics and crawl spaces. A spider may inject a little bit of venom into you when it bites and the toxin can be inactivated by ice says dr. Use insect repellents such as deet on clothing and footwear. Elevate the area to reduce swelling.

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If a poisonous spider bites a person they must follow the same immediate steps as above but may also require medical attention. Take an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine. So for example if you have a spider bite on your leg or arm then you should elevate the affected limb. Clean the bite with mild soap and warm water apply ointment based moisturizer to damp skin and keep covered with a bandaid if possible take acetaminophen or ibuprofen so long as not contraindicated if you have pain.

Apply an ice pack on and off the bite for 10 minutes at a time. Put ice in a plastic bag. Inspect and shake out gardening gloves boots and clothing before use. You can either make an ice bag and hold it over the bite for 10 minutes or.

If possible elevate the area of your body where you have a spider bite to help reduce swelling. When you discover a mild spider bite first wash the area with soap and water to clear any venom dirt or bacteria that could enter your bloodstream through the puncture wound. If you were bitten on the arm or leg prop it on pillows to keep the area elevated comfortably. Wrap the bag with a towel and put it on the site of the spider bite for 10 to 20 minutes.