A black widow spider bite starts with a stinging pinprick at the location.
Dull numbing pain soon follows, often accompanied by some swelling. Within about thirty minutes, severe stomach pains and clenching of the abdominal muscles begin.
After a while, you may get spasms and severe pain in the arms, legs, and feet. Finally, the most frightening part: paralysis or partial paralysis, chest constriction, and difficulty swallowing.
Although there isn’t much that can be done about it once it’s happened, seeking out a doctor is a good idea anyway. The symptoms can be alleviated somewhat by medical professionals.
The good news, unless you’re one in a hundred, is that the black widow spider bite has only about a 1 percent fatality rate.
Those most at risk of dying are the very young, the old, the ill, and those with allergies.
