by Danelle Karth

Created on: September 10, 2010

Yellow sac spiders are one of the most common spiders. There are a number of yellow sac spider species, but all of them involve a rather nasty bite that requires some care to make sure that it doesn't become infected. Thankfully yellow sac spider bites are not fatal and do not cause a great deal of concerned unless one is allergic to them.

Identifying the spider.

Whenever possible it is a good idea to catch the spider that is responsible for your bite. This way you can take it in for identification if you need to see a medical care practitioner. With the yellow sac spider you are looking at a spider that is about 1/2" to 1" in size. It is smooth and its abdomen region is large and rather bulbous in appearance. It is usually tan or yellowish in appearance, but it can be a darker brown or even a pale yellow or cream. It is a very smooth spider and has three rows of eyes. The difficulty with the yellow sac spider is that it doesn't really have any distinguishing marks that set it aside from other spiders.

Identifying the bite.

Often times the bite feels like a sharp sting. For some people this is very mild, but most people who know that they have been bitten by a yellow sac spider often report it feeling much like a wasp sting. However, when a spider isn't present it is hard to know what caused the bite. This is especially true if you were bitten in the night and now have a red mark. While you may not know for sure whether or not the bite was caused from a yellow sac spider bite some basic care for the bite will help and make sure that it doesn't get infected.

Wash the area.

You should wash the area really well and make sure that you keep it clean on a regular basis. This usually means washing the area once or twice a day.

Antibacterial cream.

You will want to apply an antibacterial cream to the bite. This will help to keep the area from getting infected which is the number one concern with a yellow sac spider bite.

Avoid itching and popping.

It is important to try and avoid itching the spider bite. If a lesion or puss filled blister breaks out on the surface of the skin you want to avoid popping this. That increases the risk of infection and can cause additional pain. It is best to keep it covered to avoid damage to the area as well.

Elevate the area.

If you are having a fair amount of swelling the best thing you can do is elevate the area. This will help reduce the swelling and in turn will make your discomfort less.

Seek medical attention.

As long as you are keeping the wound clean and avoiding infection most yellow sac spider bites don't require medical attention. However, if you are feeling dizzy, nauseous, experiencing chills, have a fever, or have a headache within eight hours of the bite. These are signs that you may be allergic to the spider bite and it is best to go and see a doctor. If you have any other concerns you may also want to visit the doctor just to be sure.

Healing.

In most cases healing is very quick. If there isn't a legion or blister you can expect the bite to be gone in a couple of weeks. Healing time for a legion or blister caused from a yellow sac spider bite is about 8 weeks. It is best if you make sure that you keep the area clean during the entire healing process. It is also a good idea to keep antibiotic ointment on the blister for the entire time that it is there as well. Blistered bites are much more likely to get infected and taking good care of them can prevent issues later on.

Yellow sac spider bites are often uncomfortable, but they rarely have complications and rarely cause serious allergic reactions. Make sure that you take good care of your spider bite to avoid infection. Remember that it is important to try and avoid itching the bite!

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