Results: 4 things to know about Brown Recluse spider bites
Published on 04/22/2017
After Meghan Linsey was bit by a brown recluse, experts explain the steps you should take if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. WARNING: There are a few "squeamish photos" to view while taking this survey!
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About two months ago, country singer Meghan Linsey woke up to a nightmare: She had an "awful" stinging pain in her face, and a dying spider in her hand. The singer, a runner-up on the 2015 season of The Voice, had been bitten by a brown recluse in her sleep. "The swelling was the first thing, and then I ended up just having crazy, crazy symptoms," Linsey told PEOPLE. "I had muscle spasms, and I had a body rash all over." Nine days after she was bitten, she developed an open wound around the bite, which she called "a hole on my face." Are you familiar with this story?
Yes
17%
270 votes
No
83%
1338 votes
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With treatment, Linsey is slowly healing. She's been documenting her recovery on social media, and says she's "glad to be alive" after the traumatic experience. A brown recluse bite can indeed be fatal if not treated, especially in children, and experts are praising Linsey for educating people about the venomous arachnids. "She's doing a great job of turning a negative experience into a positive," says Jon Dyer, MD, a dermatologist in Columbia, Missouri, who specializes in treating these spider bites. Have you ever been bitten by a brown recluse spider?
Yes
7%
110 votes
No
93%
1498 votes
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Linsey put the brown recluse that bit her in a plastic bag, and brought it with her to an urgent care center, which likely sped up her diagnosis and treatment. What brown recluse spider bite facts are you familiar with?
If you get bit, try to save the spider: Showing the spider to your doctor can be very helpful. While it's easy to ID a brown recluse (by its 6 eyes and the violin-shaped mark on its back), it's much more difficult to figure out what type of spider was responsible for a mystery bite.
24%
392 votes
To complicate matters, brown recluse bites are typically not very painful at first. Initially, people might not even know they've been bitten, so they might not know to be looking for a spider.
12%
199 votes
A bite can cause a range of symptoms: A visible bite may have a "red, white, and blue" appearance. The outer areas of the bite are typically red and inflamed with some swelling. The inside is typically paler; and the very center of the bite may be purplish or bruised-looking.
13%
202 votes
Later, the venom can cause other symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, itching, headache, chills, and a full-body rash.
16%
250 votes
Another possible side effect is "after the initial bite, necrosis, or death of the surrounding skin, can occur."
16%
254 votes
In more severe cases, hemolysis (rupturing of red blood cells) or kidney failure can occur. Depending on the severity of the bite and where it's located, it can take weeks or even months to heal. If you get bitten on the arm or leg, it may cause an ulcer, but on the face you can end up with very nasty scarring after the ulceration heals.
7%
117 votes
I am aware of all of these spider bite facts.
11%
169 votes
N/A or I am unfamiliar with all of these facts.
56%
895 votes
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What you should do if you are bitten by a brown recluse, what facts are you familiar with?
You should seek medical treatment immediately: If you think you've been bitten by a brown recluse, apply ice and head straight to your doctor's office or the ER. A doctor will likely put a cold compress on the area, apply an anti-inflammatory cortisone cream, and test your urine for systemic side effects.
31%
503 votes
The most common treatment for brown recluse bites is an antibiotic called Dapsone. Hyperbaric chambers treatment may also be used to speed up wound healing.
9%
151 votes
Keep an eye out for spiders in dark, dry places: True to their name, brown recluse spiders are reclusive and shy. They tend to hide in dark, dry places, such as garages, wood piles, and cellars. To protect yourself, use caution when slipping on shoes you haven't worn in awhile, picking up items of clothing that have been sitting on the ground for a long time, or carrying a load of lumber or firewood.
19%
302 votes
I am aware of all of these spider bite facts.
12%
190 votes
N/A or I am unfamiliar with all of these facts.
51%
826 votes
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Lastly, reported cases of brown recluse bites occur primarily Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas (USA). There have been many reports of brown recluse bites in California (though a few related species may be found there, none of these are known to bite humans). Do you live in any of these brown recluse spider locations?
Arkansas
2%
33 votes
Colorado
2%
37 votes
Kansas
2%
33 votes
Missouri
3%
50 votes
Nebraska
1%
24 votes
Oklahoma
1%
20 votes
Texas
4%
69 votes
California
5%
86 votes
Other (please specify)
5%
73 votes
Not Applicable
76%
1223 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| florida | 1.41% | 6 |
| 1.18% | 5 | |
| Georgia | 0.94% | 4 |
| north carolina | 0.71% | 3 |
| Ontario | 0.71% | 3 |
| nc | 0.71% | 3 |
| Ohio | 0.47% | 2 |
| Oregon | 0.47% | 2 |
| Tennessee | 0.47% | 2 |
| Arizona | 0.47% | 2 |
| south carolina | 0.47% | 2 |
| michigan | 0.47% | 2 |
| Canada | 0.47% | 2 |
| Illinois | 0.47% | 2 |
| indiana | 0.47% | 2 |
| Alabama | 0.47% | 2 |
| ND | 0.24% | 1 |
| The word you keep misusing should be BITTEN, not bit. | 0.24% | 1 |
| Or | 0.24% | 1 |
| Kentucky | 0.24% | 1 |
| Georgia,South Carolina also has them. | 0.24% | 1 |
| West Virginia | 0.24% | 1 |
| We have them here in TN | 0.24% | 1 |
| yes | 0.24% | 1 |
| NY | 0.24% | 1 |
| ga | 0.24% | 1 |
| New Mexico | 0.24% | 1 |
| Iowa | 0.24% | 1 |
| ms. | 0.24% | 1 |
| Louisiana | 0.24% | 1 |
| atlanta | 0.24% | 1 |
| southern ontario | 0.24% | 1 |
| They've been spotted in Michigan too... | 0.24% | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 0.24% | 1 |
| wa | 0.24% | 1 |
| we are always nice to spiders. we may want to think twice | 0.24% | 1 |
| Everywhere | 0.24% | 1 |
| KY | 0.24% | 1 |
| vancouver bc canada | 0.24% | 1 |
| washington | 0.24% | 1 |
| idaho | 0.24% | 1 |
| Alberta, Canada | 0.24% | 1 |
| PA | 0.24% | 1 |
| Rhode Island | 0.24% | 1 |
| used to | 0.24% | 1 |
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