First Aid & Emergencies

Black Widow Spider Bite Treatment

1. Get Help Immediately

• Call your health care provider or go to a hospital emergency room.

• If possible, kill the spider and take it to the doctor with you.

• Symptoms include target-like marking and slight swelling at wound site, muscle pains and cramps within 2 hours of the bite, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, dizziness, itching, anxiety, and increased blood pressure.

2. Treat Symptoms

• Apply ice on the way to the health care provider's office or emergency room to relieve pain and swelling.

3. Follow Up

• The health care provider will examine and clean the wound.

• The person may require a tetanus shot or booster, depending on the date of the last injection.

• A person with severe symptoms -- such as intense pain and cramping or high blood pressure -- may be admitted to the hospital overnight. Antivenin may be needed to treat serious bites.