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First, if ever in doubt, call your doctor or another medical pro! Now, a quick review of some of the key symptoms that warrant immediate medical attention: muscle cramping, abdominal and chest pain, high blood pressure, a racing heart, and/or vomiting within two hours of a bite, a lot of swelling, increased pain, fever, spreading rash or other sign of infection, a target forming on your skin, or difficulty breathing.
And while poisonous bites are rare, any bite—spider or otherwise—can turn serious if it becomes infected, says Dr. Arnold. There are three main complications that can arise from bites: cellulitis, blisters, and swelling.
When a spider bite turns into cellulitis—a common (and painful) skin infection—a rash begins to spread around the wound, and the skin becomes painful and hot to the touch. Actually feeling the skin around the bite becomes more important for BIPOC patients in particular because severe swelling can be a sign of a more worrisome spider bite, says Dr. Katta.
Another concerning sign that BIPOC patients should watch out for is necrosis, in which the skin at the site of the bite starts to die off. When this happens, you may see a central ulcer with a black crust.
“Weeping” blisters at the site (they look puffy and fluid-filled), is yet another red flag. Small blisters on their own, with no other symptoms, don’t necessarily need special care. But if a blister opens, it becomes at risk for infection, says Dr. Arnold, so don’t try to pop them! If you think you may have an infection at the bite site, whether from cellulitis or open blisters, it’s best to have your doctor take a look.
Swelling is another very common symptom of insect or spider bites. Even though the swelling can get quite pronounced, it’s not necessarily a problem, as long as it goes down within a few days. But if the swelling doesn’t go down, gets significantly worse, or is accompanied by other symptoms, it’s time to get medical attention, says Dr. Arnold.
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