Tell us where your bite is (arm, leg, nose, whatever)
On leg just above ankle
Why I think it's a spider bite
I am not sure it is a spider bite, but the symptoms were similar to a Sac Spider -- although the picture is not similar. The doctor indicated it could be a spider bite.
What happened
I did not feel a bite at all but started feeling large swelling in the groin. Redness in the groin spread in a broad red line down the inside of my thigh, behind my knee and down to just above the ankle. My leg became very swollen. Swelling in my groin went down after taking antibiotics, but the skin above my ankle started turning red and black with blisters over an area about 10 - 15 cm. Blisters started weeping a yellow watery liquid. The wound has now dried and reduced, but is still red and black. Swelling is now only in my foot after two weeks.
Advice
- An ice pack helped with pain and swelling
Rod Brouhard, First Aid Guide, says:
Sometimes, certain rashes or lesions can be identified as specific bug or spider bites. In most cases, however, it's nearly impossible to pin a wound on a particular critter. I'm always wary of calling any unidentified rash a spider bite, even if the doc thinks it "might" be. Docs aren't a whole lot better at identifying spider bites than the rest of us.
It pays not to get complacent. Keep an eye on any rash or lesion, despite the diagnosis of "spider bite" by your physician. He or she may be right, but if things change, you'll want to notice.
Any opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and are not intended for diagnosis.
