You Should Know about Spider Bite Treatment Options

Spiders are notorious in the summers. They love the heat and they tend to come out a bit more often when the weather is nice than when it’s cold. For this reason, you need to learn how to treat spider bites and when to seek medical help. Not all spider bite are worth worrying about for more than a minute or two, but some will become progressively worse and cause infection – or death if it’s from a poisonous spider such as a black widow or brown recluse.

Clean the Bite

No matter what type of spider bit you, the first thing you need to do is treat the bite by cleaning it. Once the bite is clean, you will want to elevate the bite and place a cold ice pack on top of it. This will help to decrease the pain and swelling from the bite and help you or your child recover a bit faster. Do this for 20 minutes every two hours for the best results.

Avoid Heat

If you spider bite itches, keep it out of the heat or you will exacerbate the itching even more. You will want to stay inside and out of the sun, away from hot showers and baths and even away from cooking and doing dishes since these are likely to heat up and cause itching on bites on your arms or hands.

Wash Regularly

The best thing to do to treat a nonpoisonous spider bite is keep it clean. You will want to wash the area with cold water on a regular basis; every hour or so. This helps to prevent infection, reduce swelling and keep the area clean so that it heals quickly and painlessly.

Seek Medical Treatment

If you suspect that the bite came from a poisonous spider, you’ll want to see a doctor immediately. If you notice that the bite becomes bigger, more painful, appears to blister or spread, you will want to seek treatment immediately. Poisonous bites should be immediately cared for by a medical professional. The faster you are prescribed antibiotics, the faster you will heal.

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