Do You Know How To Treat Spider Bites And Insect Stings?
It would be impossible for anyone to avoid being stung by a bee, hornet, or fire ant, or bitten by a spider at some point in their life. Most stings and bites are fairly harmless and cause some transient discomfort before fading away. However, knowing the signs when a bite or sting might be dangerous or understanding how to relieve the pain definitely fall into the realm of useful knowledge. Bear in mind, too, that even a relatively harmless spider bite can cause an extreme reaction if the person who has been bitten is allergic to these bites. When I was 5 years old, my mother began to lose consciousness from a spider bite while driving in a city. She was just able to get the car to the side of the road before passing out. She wound up in the hospital.
Bee, Wasp, Hornet, And Ant Stings
The stingers of all these insects originated as devices for inserting their eggs into plant tissue. This is why only the females of all of these species are the ones who sting; the males have no such equipment. The only one of these creatures that will leave a stinger in the victim is the honey bee, the stingers of all the others, including bumble bees and fire ants is smooth and the insect remains intact after stinging. The venom in these stings is generally an acid, which is what causes so much pain. In the case of hornets and wasps, it is meant to either paralyze or kill the prey. The venom of the honeybee, apitoxin, contains a chemical signal, a pheromone, that alerts other bees in the area to likewise attack, so if you are stung near a hive, leave the area quickly.
First Aid For Stings
If you or someone else has been stung by a honeybee, the first thing to do is to remove the stinger as quickly as possible. It is best to use the edge of a knife or even a credit card to carefully pull the stinger away without pressing on the venom sac.
There are a number of possible first aid remedies for stings, but the most effective is probably ice. Use an ice pack or wrap the ice in a towel – never put ice directly onto the skin as it can cause tissue damage. Do not leave the ice on longer than 15 or 20 minutes, but you can repeat the treatment every hour if necessary. Some people find that a paste of baking soda can help relieve the pain, and others that rubbing the sting with an onion helps. Taking an antihistamine can also help return the area to normal.
Severe allergic reactions to insect venom are possible, and an anaphylactic reaction can have serious consequences. Hives and difficulty breathing are symptoms of this condition, as are swelling of the face, mouth, or throat. Emergency care will be required as home remedies will be ineffectual against anaphylaxis.
Spider Bites
Spiders use their mouthparts to inject venom into their prey. This is to either paralyze or kill it. While insects are the usual prey of spiders, they will bite warm blooded animals as well. Tarantulas have been known to kill baby birds and hummingbirds have been snared in webs. Spiders will also bite larger creatures such as dogs and humans. Do not believe anyone when they say that spiders will only bite when provoked, they do actively seek out warm blood if they are able to get it. In the incident cited above with my mother, a large fishing spider crossed our living room to bite her, then retreated to its hiding place.
Most spider bites are simply itchy and an application of calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream will soon relieve the itchiness. However, the bites of the black widow spider and the brown recluse can cause more extreme reactions. Black widow spiders are found in nearly every region of the United States and in parts of Canada. Bites from this spider are not usually fatal, as an antivenin is available, but they can be extremely painful. If you or a family member is bitten by this spider, try to catch it for positive identification. The bite of this spider can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Wash the bite off and try to slow the introduction of the venom into the system by elevating the limb. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.
The bite of the brown recluse is actually more serious than that of the black widow. Fortunately, the range of this spider is limited to the southern central states. The bite of this spider can cause death, particularly in young children, so treatment after a bite is essential. Acute pain will begin several hours after the bite is received and nausea and vomiting will commence. This bite will cause tissue death and can spread over a fairly wide area of the body. Someone bitten by a brown recluse needs immediate medical attention.
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