What Does a Brown Recluse Spider Bite Look Like?
The bite of a brown recluse spider causes mild redness at the affected site; upon close inspection, fang marks can be seen, notes WebMD. Typically, the bite is painless, with symptoms developing during the course of 2 to 8 hours, including the formation of a bull’s eye lesion that looks as if it flows downhill after several hours pass. The center then forms a blister within 12 to 48 hours, sinks in and turns blue before turning black; this signifies death of tissue.
The brown recluse gets its name for its propensity to hide in dark, dry warm environments, including in closets, attics and basements inside the home or outside the home on porches and barns and in old tires or wood piles, notes eMedicineHealth.
Most brown recluse bites occur during the summer months, with the spider’s venom being a blend of enzymes released into the skin that causes the breakdown of skin cells, blood vessels and fat and ends in necrosis. Symptoms that occur with a brown recluse spider bite include low platelet count, red blood cell destruction, loss of the blood’s ability to clot in the affected area. In some cases, the bite leads to acute renal failure, coma and death.
