Spider bite health question also off-topic thread

[Fira]

I didn't (did not) see an off-topic place
so I figured this message board could use an off-topic place
so I made a two in one thread
my safety questions and an off-topic [meaning general chat as well].


Anywho my spider bite safety questions:

#1: If I am biten by an unknown spider is it okay to dial 911 [like better safe than sorry because the bite even if painless may kill me in 24 hours or less]?

#2: Can spider bites cause acne?

#3: Can spider bites cause permanent paralysis?

#4: Can spider bites affect glucose levels?





Off-topic [a general chat topic I mean] :

Most favorite video game anyone?

Me
Dragon Warrior IV for Nintendo Entertainment System

[adoucette]

Most spiders are harmless to humans.

There are ~20,000 different species of spiders in the Americas, but only 60 are capable of biting people.

Of that 60 that could bite you, only 3 are known to be dangerous to those in the US:

Brown Recluse
Black widow
Hobo spider


Of these, only 2, the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow spider have been associated with rare reports of death, and most of those deaths were in children less than 7 years old, but that's because there is now an anti-venom available for BW spider bites, but you have to go to a doctor to get it. (note the natural range of the spiders, they don't all live everywhere, for instance if you live in California it can't be a Hobo or a Recluse)

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurr...dow_spider.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurr...use_spider.pdf
http://spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/spide.../page11_em.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_widow_spider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_recluse_spider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_spider

[Fira]

Thank you very much ; ) : )

Also another off-topic [general chat] subject and discussion here by me as well:

Most favorite sport(s)?

My #1 favorites are Ice Hockey and Baseball

[Steve100]

There is a free thoughts forum that would suit your needs. Also there is an about the members forum.

[Stoniphi]

Welcome to the site. Take a look around and see what is here already before you retool the place, eh? Thanks.

[Fraggle Rocker]

Spiders are one order within the class of arachnids within the phylum of arthropods. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some of them the two front legs have evolved into other kinds of organs. Other kinds of arachnids include scorpions (of which there are several orders), harvestmen, daddy longlegs, vinegarroons, ticks and mites. There are 40,000 species of spiders and 100,000 total species of arachnids.

Spiders are predators that kill their prey (typically insects although a few can kill lizards or small birds) by injecting venom. Very few species attack humans deliberately, wounds are usually defensive or accidental. The human death rate from spider bites is about 100 per century for the entire planet, mostly children. For comparison, jellyfish kill 1,500 of us in that time.

Other kinds of arachnids may also attack humans. Scorpions sting, and 25 species can kill humans. Ticks and mites are parasites that bite in order to suck blood. In the process they can transmit disease, most famously (these days in the USA) the tick-borne Lyme disease.

[Grumpy]

Also, if you live in Eastern North Carolina, be aware that there have been Austrailian Redback spiders found. They are very similar to Black Widows with additional red spots on the back. In addition it is thought that many bites attributed to Brown Recluces(Fiddlebacks)are actually from the Mat Web spider. Both the Fiddleback and the Mat Web venom is not really that toxic, it is the flesh eating enzymes that cause most of the problems.

Grumpy

[Stoniphi]

Yahoo couldn't come up with any references for a "Mat Web spider". Can you supply any further information on that? Another name for it?

[Captain Kremmen]

#1: If I am biten by an unknown spider is it okay to dial 911 [like better safe than sorry because the bite even if painless may kill me in 24 hours or less]?

How many spiders do you have?
I have two.
My kitchen window spider.
And my wing mirror spider.
They make very undemanding pets.

Here's a great song. Sing it to your spiders. They'll love it.
I adapted it from "My Four legged Friend".
Same tune.

Original Song. A Four legged FRIEND
From the film "Son Of Paleface" (1952)
(Jack Brooks)

Roy Rogers - 1952
Bob Hope & Jimmy Wakely - 1952
Andy Mackay - 1974

Adapted by Captain Kremmen.

A eight legged friend, a eight legged friend
He'll never let you down
He's honest and faithful right up to the end
That wonderful one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight legged friend

A woman's like cactus and cactus can hurt
'Cause she's just a tight-waisted winky-eyed flirt
She'll soon have your land and your pride and your gold
And bury you deep long before you grow old

A eight legged friend, a eight legged friend
He'll never let you down
He's honest and faithful right up to the end
That wonderful one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight legged friend

A two legged hombre is worthless as sand
He'll smile like a saint with a gun in his hand
He'll promise to stick by your side like a pal
But he'll also promise the same to your gal

A eight legged friend, a eight legged friend
He'll never let you down
He's honest and faithful right up to the end
That wonderful one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight legged friend

Who carries your burden, who carries your load
On tumbleweed land or a long dusty road
Who asks you no questions, who tells you no lies
That eight legged friend with the eight honest eyes

A eight legged friend, a eight legged friend
He'll never let you down
He's honest and faithful right up to the end
That wonderful eight legged friend

That wonderful one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight legged friend

[elte]

How many spiders do you have?
I have two.
My kitchen window spider.
And my wing mirror spider.
They make very undemanding pets. ...

I have quite a few and the well-disposed cellar spiders (daddy long legs spiders) are by far my favorite. My fridge operates at 50 degF (10 degC) to save electricity, and one even lives in there.

[Captain Kremmen]

10 degrees. I'm impressed.
That's a Brrrrrrrrr-illiant spider!

[elte]

It's a really cool spider!

[Captain Kremmen]

If you get bitten by a spider, don't call spiderman.
He's fed up of humans.
They kill spiders.

[milkweed]

If I am biten by an unknown spider is it okay to dial 911 [like better safe than sorry because the bite even if painless may kill me in 24 hours or less]?

You can (anyone can call 911) but I dont think you should. Spider bites that you will react to (or die from) are not painless.

My ex was bitten by a spider (possible brown recluse but no one knows for sure). He called me saying it was so bad he was missing work. I thought "you big baby", then about a week later he came over to show me. I was glad I didnt say it out loud.

The welt on his lower leg was around 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. The really bad spot was nearly as wide as a tennis ball, with the skin gone all the way to the meat for about 1 1/2 inches.

It was pretty gross and took a long time to heal. It was so painful, he couldnt stand on it for a few days, and minimal use for a week. He was off work for two weeks because of it. But I think a persons reaction varies.

[Stoniphi]

Sounds like a brown recluse bite to me, they are notable for killing the flesh in the bite area which then sloughs off like that.

While many N American spider have serious poison, most cannot penetrate human skin with their mandibles. Those that can (like tarantulas or large jumping spiders) usually don't have very powerful poison as they don't need it to kill their normal prey. They bite us in self defense when we get too close - like when they get in our clothing.

[Asguard]

For Australia (and yes that can make a difference) the only time you are advised to call 000 is for a funnel web spider. Apart from that it's basic management unless the patient is a child, allergic or starts to develop symptoms like breathing problems. Initially treatment even for a redback is just ice, comfort and monitoring

[milkweed]

Sounds like a brown recluse bite to me, they are notable for killing the flesh in the bite area which then sloughs off like that.

They think the spider came in on a food shipment, as this is Minnesota and not brown recluse territory.

While many N American spider have serious poison, most cannot penetrate human skin with their mandibles. Those that can (like tarantulas or large jumping spiders) usually don't have very powerful poison as they don't need it to kill their normal prey. They bite us in self defense when we get too close - like when they get in our clothing.

I went to a presentation on spiders last fall. I still get the creeps at the idea of one crawling on me but I did get to see how easy they are to handle (they really do avoid biting).

[Captain Kremmen]

You can (anyone can call 911) but I dont think you should. Spider bites that you will react to (or die from) are not painless.

My ex was bitten by a spider (possible brown recluse but no one knows for sure). He called me saying it was so bad he was missing work. I thought "you big baby", then about a week later he came over to show me. I was glad I didnt say it out loud.

The welt on his lower leg was around 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. The really bad spot was nearly as wide as a tennis ball, with the skin gone all the way to the meat for about 1 1/2 inches.

It was pretty gross and took a long time to heal. It was so painful, he couldnt stand on it for a few days, and minimal use for a week. He was off work for two weeks because of it. But I think a persons reaction varies.

This sounds like quite sensible advice.
If on the other hand you eat the wrong kind of Fungi, and the picture in the book looks like this.....................


Amanita Phalloides, the Death Cap

................then any untoward symptoms may kick in so far into your self administered death sentence,
that you have no chance whatsoever.
The finger wiggling in the throat medical procedure is required as soon as possible after eating.
Quite why people eat slimy, unusual looking mushrooms, without being damn sure they are harmless, is a mystery to me.
But people die of this every year.

More deaths through Fungi than Spiders?
I don't know. Perhaps.

[Fraggle Rocker]

More deaths through Fungi than Spiders? I don't know. Perhaps.

This expert in the field says that on the average about four people are killed by poisonous mushrooms in North America every ten years.

Remember that these are people who deliberately go out looking for wild mushrooms to eat, which is not nearly as popular an activity here as it is in Europe. So the chances of it happening to you or me are essentially zero.

Unless we are captured by terrorists who have a really bizarre method of torture.

I used to cook the mushrooms that grew in my yard, but I used the U.S. Air Force survival technique:

• 1. Cut off a sliver the size of a fingernail clipping, hold it on your tongue for five minutes, and spit it out without swallowing. Wait 24 hours. If there are no ill effects (including just tasting terrible or burning your tongue so badly that you can't hold it for the full five minutes) go to Step 2.
• 2. Cut off another sliver the same size and swallow it. Wait 24 hours. If there are no ill effects go to Step 3.
• 3. Take a small bite and swallow it. Wait 24 hours. If there are no ill effects go to Step 4.
• 4. Take a full-size bite and swallow it. Wait 24 hours. If there are no ill effects it's safe to eat. This means it could still make you sick but it won't kill you.

This is for all naturally-occurring food, not just mushrooms. It will accommodate the concentration level of any natural poison. It is not for substances created artificially, which can have much higher concentrations of poison, or contain artificial poisons which are slower-acting.

In some places testing one mushroom in a field wouldn't be very safe because they have many different species that look almost the same. But this was in Los Angeles with its desert climate and only a couple of species of mushrooms can even survive there.

[Stoniphi]

I was told that one type of commonly consumed mushroom gradually kills your liver over years of consumption, ultimately resulting in death via liver failure.

I don't eat any except the ones I buy at the grocery store. You are much more adventurous than I, Frag.