Spider Bites
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Symptoms of a Funnel-Web Spider Bite • Unlike snake bites, the person feels great pain at the site of the bite. • Nausea and abdominal pain follow. • The person will also experience difficulty in breathing and a general weakness or numbness of the muscles. • The body also secretes heavily in several areas. • Profuse sweating is usually obvious, along with excessive saliva production. • Heavy coughing is also common.Virtually all major hospitals in Australia carry an effective anti-venom.Provided a pressure/immobilisation method has been applied soon after the bite and medical attention sought quickly, a few days in the hospital is the usual outcome with complete recovery.FIRST AID for Red-Back & Other Spider Bites As the venom of the red-back and other spiders moves very slowly, any attempt to restrict its progress would only serve to increase the associated pain, which can be excruciating. Do not bandage (except for funnel-web spider bite – see above). The patient should be kept calm and reassured; all undue movement should be avoided. Use an ice-pack on the bite site to reduce the swelling. Medical First Aid should be sought immediately. Many hospitals and ambulance vehicles carry the Red-back anti-venom. If safe to do so, take the spider to the hospital for identification. Symptoms • The fangs of a Red-Back Spider are tiny and it’s bite may often go unnoticed but, often a sharp pin-prick may be felt. This is generally followed by severe pain at the site of the bite, leading to more general pain. Other symptoms of venomous spider bites include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, and partial loss of muscle control. Swelling of the affected area is common, as is a quickening of the heart-beat. |