Usual symptoms of a house spider bite

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Most of us have encountered spiders every now and then inside or outside the house. Spiders typically scurry away once we are around and most are not aggressive inherently. Some individual who were bitten by spiders are by accident, such as brushing on a spider or pressing on one unintentionally.

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It is important to bear in mind that house spiders belong to the species in the Tegenaria group which includes the hobo spider, giant house spider and the common house spider. The hobo spider is the most dangerous in this group. As for the house spider, it can deliver a bite and trigger a few symptoms, particularly at the bite site.

Pain

A bite from a house spider can trigger pain in the small area surrounding the wound. The application of an ice pack over the bite site can help reduce the pain. In most cases, the actual bite might not be painful.

House spider bite
Most house spiders can cause hardening of the tissues on the area surrounding the bite site.

Swelling

In some cases, minimal tissue swelling can occur depending on the response of the individual to the spider bite as well as whether the spider responsible for injecting the venom. The spider is not likely to inject an individual with venom since might bit as a way to defend itself.

Hardening of the tissues

Most house spiders can cause hardening of the tissues on the area surrounding the bite site. Take note that this hardening strikingly resembles a classic mosquito bite.

Blistering

In severe cases of bites from house spiders, the area surrounding the bite site might develop blisters 24-48 hours after sustaining a bite. It is important to note that these blisters have the tendency to rupture 24 hours after development, resulting to an open wound.

Healing

The open lesions can start to scab over and heal. The bull’s eye-type rash that can manifest around the area surrounding the open wound can occur nearly 3 weeks after the actual bite was sustained.  Approximately 45 days after the bite, the individual might observe scar formation in place of the scabbed-over ulcer.

Systemic reactions

Systemic or full body reactions to a house spider bite can include a severe headache that does not respond to pain medications, weakness, dry mouth, hallucinations, nausea, blurry vision, double vision and joint pain. It is also possible for the individual to observe these symptoms between 1-3 hours after sustaining the bite. Other possible symptoms that can occur include chest pain, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, fever, sweating, drop in the blood pressure and increased salivation.

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