What Are The Effects Of A Spider Bite & What First Aid Should Be Administered?

The immediate effects of a spider bite are pain and redness, and in certain cases are marked by two puncture marks. Allergic reactions include weakness, nausea and difficulty in respiration - most spider venoms are toxins that attack the nervous system - and numbness, especially in the facial area is a common symptom.

What Should I Do If I Am Bitten?
It is always important to note, if one has been bitten by a spider, the kind of spider that has bitten and if possible to catch it safely as most spider bites require different treatment and as venomous spiders can generally be recognized by their distinct markings.

What Sort Of First Aid Should I Administer?
While administering first aid the body part should be cleaned with soap and water and a compress or ice pack should be applied if available, and the person should be calmed. In any case immediate medical attention is a must and if the symptoms are those that are associated with venomous spider bites, anti-venom should be administered. For prevention purposes use of an insect repellent in suspect areas like lawns, garages and wardrobes would be of some help.

What Sort Of Spider COULD Have Bitten Me?
The black widow spider of South and North America has a red hourglass design on its back or underside, the red back spider and the funnel web spider of Australia is shiny black with prominent fangs while the violin spider has a violin shaped marking on its back.

My experience is this:

About a week ago I had severe swelling in my left arm.  It took about 3 days for the swelling to go away.  While the swelling was apparent, I also experienced tingling & numbness and shortness of breath.  Once the swelling went down, I discovered a red dot like mark on my arm and decided to look up the symptoms of spider bites and felt confident that the symptoms I was experiencing matched that of a spider bite.

I felt back to normal after the swelling went down and that lasted for about 2 days.

Then I vomited and my face felt numb but also a lot of pressure in my head.

I am currently experiencing blurred vision, major headache and the numbness of the face.  I have not been treated by the doctor.

Do you think I was bit by a spider (I live in Seattle, WA)?  If so, would I still be experiencing symptoms up to a week and a half later.  Also, I cannot raise my arms over my head without difficulty.

You should get medical attention; it could also be a tick that carried lymes disease. They are so tiny you would probably wouldn't even notice because they are gone by the time you have the symptoms. Several people I knew that got bitten by ticks didn't know they had been bitten since they had never seen evidence of it. Like them, you probably need some Keflex or a prednisone pack. Get a blood test to rule out Lyme's disease.

Spider bites are less fun. I've been bitten by a Brown Recluse and it's no fun. Get the antibiotics from your doctor and don't mess with it. I was told to apply a cold compress. Soak the compress in a solution of one part bleach to two - four parts water and put it on the wound, or go to a chlorinated pool. The chlorine will help to kill the spider poison that is killing the flesh.

Sorry to be so graphic, but you should seek medical advice as fast as possible.

Clean with Dettol solution as soon as possible and head to hospital.