A Photo a Day: My Daily Sustenance, Day 262

After my daughter and I enjoyed the thank-you dinner for volunteers, we found this critter on my daughter's car.  I figured that it was a brown recluse, but I am not "dead sure." Since my daughter has a height advantage,  I asked her to swat it off the car.  Brown recluse spiders, as well as northern black widows, are the only poisonous spiders in Indiana.  The pictures I've seen of bites on humans are quite disturbing.  There is no antidote, but I copied the treatment from this site for Web MD.

How is it treated?

Medicine to counteract brown recluse spider venom is not available in the United States or Canada. Treatment depends on how severe the bite is.

• For bites that do not develop open sores, treatment includes applying a cold compress, elevating the bite area, and avoiding moving the bite area.
• If you develop an open sore (ulcer) and dead skin (necrosis), treatment includes removing the dead skin from the sore. This may involve follow-up and replacing the dead skin with new skin (skin grafts).

Medicine that may be used include:

• Pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs include naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen(Advil, Motrin). Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
• Antihistamines, such as Benadryl, to relieve itching.
• Antibiotics, if an infection is present.