(KTHV) – Doctors are seeing an increase in patients seeking treatment for brown recluse bites, including some who tried at-home remedies that did more harm than good, according to affiliate station KTHV.
The venomous bites usually heal well if left alone, said Dr. Donna Seger, medical director of the Tennessee Poison Center. However, she warned that people can react differently to the bites. A lesion accompanied by a fever, rash and muscle pain can be life-threatening, especially in children, she said.
The bites can cause hemolysis, a breakdown in red blood cells, KTHV reported.
“Our recommendations are that all children under 12 with a brown recluse spider bite should have a urine test for the presence of hemoglobin in blood which indicates hemolysis,” Seger said.
Ointments don’t usually help, she said.
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