Tell us where your bite is (arm, leg, nose, whatever)
On the outside of my left ankle
Why I think it's a spider bite
I'm not sure if it is a spider bite or not, but I seem to remember rubbing my foot over my left ankle because of feeling a sharp pain. I seem to remember feeling something on it.
What happened
I was either doing housework or sleeping, don't really remember. But after I noticed the possible bite, I remembered rubbing my left ankle with my right foot because of feeling a sharp prick. I never thought about it again until I found what looks like a bite mark, so I didn't collect any bug.
I first noticed a large bruised area that covered my entire ankle with a little blister in the middle. After 1 day, the bruised area got smaller and the blister got bigger. My ankle also swelled and seemed like it had fluid in it, like when I was pregnant.
I went to the doctor after 1-2 days of discovering the possible bite because I was also experiencing pain in my joints. I was told it probably was a bite, possibly brown recluse, but there was nothing that could be done -- unless there was an infection or to remove dead skin. I was given a list of symptoms to watch out for.
After leaving the doctor's office, I started feeling shaky, nauseated, and a little dizzy. Later that evening, I was feeling a lot more pain in my joints, chills and a massive headache. I stayed in bed most of that evening and the next day. I am still not sure if these symptoms were from the bite or because of a stomach virus that had been going around my family recently.
By the next afternoon I felt somewhat better. Now, 3-4 days after discovering the bite, I feel pretty good, but the blister seems to be getting bigger.
Advice
- From now on, if I feel something on my body that causes a sharp pain, I will definately be looking for the reason.
Rod Brouhard, First Aid Guide, says:
I'm always skeptical of a doc telling a patient the red lesion on his or her skin is a brown recluse bite (or any spider, for that matter). There isn't currently any way to test for brown recluse venom, but there is a way to test for skin infections.
Skin infections and spider bites look very similar. There are telltale signs of bug or spider bites, but those are the exceptions to the rule. Most of the time, it's impossible to tell the difference simply by looking at the lesion. For example these MRSA pictures look very similar to what many people think are pictures of spider bites.
Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done for most spider bites. MRSA and other skin infections, however, can be treated with antibiotics. MRSA in particular should be treated fairly aggressively, and can only be treated by a physician. If you are concerned you may have a spider bite or a skin infection, call your doctor.
Any opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and are not intended for diagnosis.
