Black Widow
Hopefully you are never unlucky enough to be bitten by a black widow spider, but just in case you do, it might be a good idea to know what to do. The first thing in any venomous spider bite is to remain calm. The black widow spider injects venom into your system that will spread much faster if you are panicked. Relax and know that you will be okay.
The first thing you should do is apply ice to the bite site. Wrap the ice in something such as a shirt, washcloth, or other covering and then apply. Leave the ice on for about 9 minutes at a time, and then take it off for approximately the same amount of time.
The next step should actually be done while doing the above. Transport the victim to the hospital or nearest medical facility. Your job is done once the victim has reached the hospital.
When the spider bite victim reaches the hospital the doctor may take any number of steps. These include muscle relaxants and careful blood pressure monitoring. Certainly pain medicine will be administered if needed, and sometimes a medicine called antivenin is used.
Antivenin for black widow spider bites is called “lactodectrus mactans” and it is reserved for only the worst of the black widow spider bites. The black widow antivenin is sometimes a problem with certain patients, so they are careful about who they administer it to.
The black widow spider is not always quick to release venom. Sometimes the bites are “dry” or venom is not injected. The black widow needs that venom to secure food and prey in the wild. They do not want to waste it on a huge human that they can not eat.
Children, the elderly, and those in poor health are the most at risk group with black widow spider bites. If you fall in this category and are bitten, you need to get to the hospital right away. The vast majority of people that are bitten by black widow spiders recover fully and live to tell the tale.
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