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Spider Bites
Though many people are afraid of spiders, they rarely bite people unless threatened. Most spider bites are harmless. Occasionally, spider bites can cause allergic reactions. And bites by the venomous black widow and brown recluse spiders can be very dangerous to people.
If you are bitten by a spider, you may see a reaction similar to that of a bee sting, including redness, pain and swelling at the site. To treat a spider bite:
- Wash the area well with soap and water
- Apply an ice pack or a wet compress to the area
- Take over-the-counter pain medicine, if needed
- Consider using antihistamines for severe swelling
- Seek medical treatment for small children and adults with severe symptoms
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Start Here
- Spider Bites(Nemours Foundation) - PDF
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Overviews
- Spider Bites(Mayo Clinic)
- Venomous Spiders(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
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Treatment
- Spider Bites: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Specific Conditions
- Black Widow Spider(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
- Brown Recluse Spider(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
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Health Check Tools
- Spider Bites(DSHI Systems)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Black Widow Spider(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Spiders(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Black Widow Spider
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Also available in Spanish
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Children
- Hey! A Black Widow Spider Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Hey! A Brown Recluse Spider Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Hey! A Tarantula Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Patient Handouts
- Black widow spider
- Also available in Spanish
- Brown recluse spider
- Also available in Spanish
- Funnel-web spider bite
- Also available in Spanish
- Tarantula spider
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
