Posted by TexasChic on August 4, 2007, at 0:04:29
In reply to Re: People always manage to amaze me » TexasChic, posted by Kath on August 3, 2007, at 22:51:16
Hope the infection is better. Isn't that what Phillipa had ? A brown recluse spider bite? They must be horrible. Are they big? Are they quite common? Do they just randomly bite people & people don't even realize it? I'd think it'd hurt when they bit.
>Here's what I've learned from my research (from memory):
They aren't very big, they're about the size of a quarter.
They are 'somewhat' common around here. I remember my brother getting bit by one as a kid. Other than that, I don't think I've ever known anyone else first hand who has. But it seems like everybody knows 'someone' who has been bitten.
It is common not to feel anything when you get bit, but it starts hurting later. The bite can vary in severity depending on the amount of venom injected, as well as on how sensitive a person is to it. There are horrible pictures on the internet of BRS bites, but mine was nothing like those. I think my only danger was the location and infection of the bite.
Another thing I learned was it is virtually impossible for a doctor to identify a BRS bite unless you see it and catch it. Apparently a staph infection can look identical.
Also, the Wolf Spider is often mistaken for the BRS. They are bigger though I think. The BRS is not scary looking in my opinion.
-T
poster:TexasChic
thread:773642
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070803/msgs/773858.html