Introduction
If you are bitten by a spider, it is important to remain calm. There are natural spider bite treatments you can do yourself before getting medical assistance. A spider bite may be cool for Spider-Man, but for the rest of us, it is a terrifying situation. However, as scary as spiders appear to be, their bites aren't as threatening in the majority of cases. Despite that, they're still a cause for concern and call for immediate treatment to alleviate their effects.
Dangerous Spider Species
Before getting into treatments, let's highlight species of spiders whose bites are dangerous and call for immediate medical help if the pain persists.
Black Widow Spider Bite
The black widow is black in color and has a red hourglass shape on its abdomen's underside. It is considered to be one of the most venomous spider species. Symptoms of its bite include:
- Numbness
- Restlessness
- Headache and nausea
- High blood pressure
- Abdominal cramps
- Pain and burning sensation at the bite site
Brown Recluse Spider Bite
The six-eyed brown recluse with a violin figure etched in its back is yet another spider whose bites demand urgent medical treatment. Pain can spread within the initial 8 hours after getting bitten. Healing may take up to one week. Symptoms may include body ache, fever, chills, and itchiness at the bite site. The bite is painless, so it often takes time for allergic reactions to appear.
Wolf Spider Bite
The eight-eyed wolf spider is typically black, brown, or gray with two front eyes bigger than the remaining eyes. Healing may take up to 10 days with proper medical treatment. Bite symptoms may include swollen lymph glands, swelling, redness, and tearing of the skin in rare cases.
General Spider Bite Symptoms
As threatening as spiders look, they don't bite humans without any reason — they only bite us when they feel threatened. General house spiders whose bites can be treated by natural remedies may cause redness, itching, mild pain, and inflammation.
Natural Spider Bite Treatments at Home
Before resorting to any of the following treatments, make sure that:
1. You have thoroughly washed the bite site with lukewarm water and soap. 2. You have elevated the bitten limb.
After doing this, you can employ any of these natural spider bite treatments to reduce the swelling:
- Ice Pack: Cold temperature helps numb nerve endings, soothing itchiness, inflammation, and swelling. Place the affected spot under cold running water or wrap ice cubes in a cloth and rub it on the affected spot for 10 minutes. Repeat for the initial 24 hours.
- Salt: Owing to its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic characteristics, salt is good for drawing out the venom. Sprinkle some table salt on a wet piece of cloth, wrap it around the bite, and tie it down for some hours.
- Baking Soda: This alkaline efficiently draws out venom and reduces pain, inflammation, and itchiness. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 3 teaspoons of water, apply to the affected area with cotton, then wash with warm water.
- Aspirin: Due to its excellent anti-inflammatory properties, aspirin can effectively neutralize the venom. Soak 1–2 aspirin tablets in some water to form a paste. Apply this paste on the bite, leaving it for a few hours, then wash with warm water.
- Potatoes: Due to their anti-irritating property, potatoes promote quick healing by moisturizing the area and alleviating inflammation. Peel and grate a potato, secure some wet potato shreds into a thin cloth and place it over the bite until dry. Wash with warm water.
- Lemon Juice: This alleviates inflammation, swelling, and itchiness, and prevents infection. Rub a lemon piece over the bite site for 2–3 minutes or apply fresh lemon juice with cotton and rinse off after the juice dries. Repeat several times a day.
- Turmeric: This natural pain-killer keeps inflammation, swelling, and pain at bay. Mix 1–2 teaspoons of turmeric powder and some olive oil, wash the site after 10 minutes.
- Peppermint: Its anti-inflammatory property alleviates itchiness, swelling, pain, and inflammation. Apply 1–2 drops of peppermint oil on the bite twice or thrice a day.
- Aloe Vera: This antiseptic alleviates itchiness, swelling, and pain while fastening recovery. Clean a leaf of Aloe Vera, slice it up to obtain the gel, and gently rub it over the bite. Re-apply as needed.
- Activated Charcoal: Good for drawing out the venom, reducing inflammation. Apply a mixture of activated charcoal and some water and bandage it up. Repeat every 3 hours the first day.
In Conclusion
Keep yourself out of harm's way by not provoking spiders. If you're experiencing a spider infestation, it is always best to turn to a professionally-trained spider control expert to help remove them. Contact Rest Easy Pest Control at 888-927-9842 for professional spider control services.