The Bite Stages of a Brown Recluse Spider – An Infographic!

Our fully inclusive infographic guide on the stages of being bitten by a brown recluse spider.

No one wants to be bitten by an insect, do they? Furthermore, no one wants to be bitten by a spider. Particularly a venomous spider. That is poisonous. Queue the brown recluse spider!

These particular spiders contain a rare toxin in them, called Sphingomyelinase D. This toxin has the power to destroy skin tissue.

In comparison, the toxins in the bite of a brown recluse spider are more potent, than that of a rattlesnake’s.

With this in mind, you really should know the signs of symptoms that you have been bitten by a brown recluse spider – and today, we’re here to help you with exactly that!

Read on for our fully inclusive infographic guide on the stages of being bitten by a brown recluse spider.

The Stages of a Brown Recluse Spider Bite

As we mentioned above, the toxin in a brown recluse spider bite can actually damage skin tissue, as well as nerves and blood vessels also.

This is because the venom actually destroys the blood vessels, which causes ischemia which is a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the tissue. Because of this, the skin tissue actually dies.

Read on to find out what to expect through each stage of the brown recluse spider bite.

The Immediate Signs of the Bite

When immediately bitten by a brown recluse, you may not even notice, because their fangs are so small, and it won’t necessarily hurt.

The first sign that you’ve been bitten, is likely to be the area becoming tender, red, and inflamed around three to eight hours after the spider has bitten you. Over several hours, this irritation might start to feel like a burning sensation.

In some cases, victims will notice a necrotic lesion because of the bite. The symptoms of this may include:

• A dry and sinking patch of skin.
• A patch of the skin appearing a blue – like colour.
• Redness developing around the lesion, and it having a pale centre.
• A central blister.

These are, again, immediate signs that you’ve been bitten by a brown recluse.           

After 3 to 5 Days of the Bite Taking Place

After three to five days of being bitten by a brown recluse, things may start to develop.

In certain people only, the venom of the brown recluse spider is localized only to the area in which the spider actually bit you.

If the spider has injected a minimal amount of venom into you and you’re generally a healthy person, then no harm done, really! The discomfort should disappear in this three to five day time frame.

However, in other scenarios, the venom may actually spread. This is likely to cause the wound to actually expand, and this could take a period of time ranging from several days, all the way up to several weeks.

After 7 to 14 Days of the Bite Taking Place

This stage of post – brown recluse bite will only happen if you’ve had a more severe reaction.

If this happens, then the spreading ulcer can actually grow by inches at a time. Usually, the skin won’t actually begin to break down until around the seven to fourteen day time frame following the bite.

If you have a wound of this degree, then it could actually last for several months before it heals.

After Three Weeks of the Bite Taking Place

In the vast majority of cases, the bite of a brown recluse spider will heal after this three week period.

For those people with more severe bites, the site of the wound itself will actually begin to develop dead – or necrotic – tissue. This is called eschar.

In appearance, this looks like a thick, black, and large scab which covers the wound. Yuck.

After Three Months of the Bite Taking Place

Okay, so by this point, regardless of severity, the brown recluse bite should have healed.

If it hasn’t, you should be asking yourself, is it really a brown recluse bite at all?

The Most Severe Reactions to Brown Recluse Bites

Finally, you might be wondering what the most severe reactions to brown recluse spider bites are – because as we mentioned, they can be fatal.

These symptoms include:

• Dizziness.
• Rash.
• Fever.
• Vomiting.
• Chills.

These reactions are more likely to happen in those who have compromised immune systems, or more vulnerable people such as the elderly.

If you do have any of these symptoms, then you should be certain to seek immediate medical attention.

 Thanks for reading!