From the Guidelines
To treat a spider bite, first clean the area with soap and water, then apply an ice pack wrapped in cloth for 10 minutes at a time to reduce swelling and pain, as recommended by the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1.
Treatment Approach
The treatment approach for spider bites involves localized wound care and over-the-counter analgesics for pain management.
- Clean the area with soap and water to prevent infection.
- Apply an ice pack wrapped in cloth for 10 minutes at a time to reduce swelling and pain.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) according to package directions, as suggested by the guidelines 1.
- Apply an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin to prevent infection and cover with a bandage.
- Elevate the affected area if possible to reduce swelling.
When to Seek Medical Attention
Most spider bites heal on their own within a week. However, seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe pain, abdominal cramping, growing redness or warmth around the bite, difficulty breathing, or if you suspect the bite is from a black widow or brown recluse spider, as these venomous spiders can cause serious reactions requiring antivenom or other medical interventions 1.
- Emergency services should be called if a person bitten by a spider or stung by a scorpion develops symptoms throughout the body such as difficulty breathing, muscle rigidity, dizziness, or confusion, as recommended by the guidelines 1.
- A person bitten by a spider or stung by a scorpion should seek medical care if pain extends beyond the site of the bite/sting, becomes severe, and is not controlled by over-the-counter pain medications; if an open wound develops; or if the person experiences symptoms throughout the body 1.
From the Research
Treatment of Spider Bites
- Most spider bites cause minimal or no effects and require little treatment beyond local irritation care 2
- For bites that cause significant morbidity, such as latrodectism (red back spider envenomation), pain management and monitoring for systemic symptoms are necessary 2
- In cases of funnel web spider bites, a medical emergency, a pressure immobilisation bandage should be applied and the patient transferred to a hospital with available antivenom and resuscitation facilities 2
- For bites causing dermonecrosis, secondary infection, neuromuscular damage, and allergic reactions, intensive medical management may be required 3
- Antivenin may be necessary for black widow spider bites that cause severe neurologic problems 3
Diagnosis and Management
- Lay identification of the spider is not reliable, and clinicians should consider spider bite in the differential diagnosis of unexplained autonomic and neurological dysfunction, particularly in children 2
- Spider bites are frequently difficult to diagnose because the spider is not seen at the time of the suspected bite, and such bites should be labeled arthropod bites, vector unknown 3
- Skin ulceration is more likely to be an infective, inflammatory, or traumatic cause than a case of necrotising arachnidism, especially in Australia 2