Spider Bite Treatment: First Aid and How to Treat a Spider Bite at Home

Nov 5, 2026

For most spider bites, treatment is simple first aid: wash the bite with soap and water, put a cold pack on it, raise it if it’s on an arm or leg, and use an antihistamine or anti-itch cream for itching. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says most spider bites fade on their own within several days. Then watch the bite for a few days for signs that it’s getting worse or infected.

Get care now if you think a brown recluse or black widow bit you. Cleveland Clinic advises emergency care for a suspected bite from either spider. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, chest tightness or a racing heartbeat. For advice at any hour, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

In the video above, family physician Dr. Richard Honaker explains why the brown recluse and the black widow are the bites doctors worry about: brown recluse venom kills tissue at the bite, and the damaged area sometimes has to be removed surgically or treated with an injected medicine, while black widow venom spreads through the body and needs a hospital visit as soon as possible. The video page covers both in depth, along with a note on what newer research says about those treatments. This article is about first aid and home care.

How to treat a spider bite at home, step by step

These steps come from AAFP, Cleveland Clinic, MedlinePlus, the NHS and the Merck Manual.

  1. Get away from the spider. If you can do it safely, catch it in a closed container, even if it’s dead. AAFP says to bring it to your doctor so it can be identified.
  2. Wash the bite with soap and warm water. Cleveland Clinic and AAFP both list this first.
  3. Cool it down. Put ice or a cold pack wrapped in a cloth on the bite, or use a cold, damp washcloth. The Merck Manual says ice should not touch the skin directly. MedlinePlus suggests 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off, repeated, and shorter times for someone with blood flow problems. The NHS suggests at least 20 minutes for a swollen bite.
  4. Raise it. If the bite is on an arm or leg, AAFP advises raising it above heart level to reduce swelling.
  5. Take off rings and tight items near the bite, since the area may swell (MedlinePlus).
  6. Ease the itch. An antihistamine taken by mouth, or hydrocortisone cream, can help itching and swelling (AAFP, NHS, American Academy of Dermatology).
  7. Ease the pain. AAFP and the NHS list over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen (paracetamol). Cleveland Clinic suggests asking a provider before using anti-inflammatory pain relievers. See the note on pain medicine below.
  8. Watch it for several days. MedlinePlus advises looking for increasing redness, swelling or pain over the next several days. Most bites should be getting better, not worse.

What to put on a spider bite

Sources list a few simple options:

  • Soap and water to clean it, and keeping it clean afterward.
  • A cold pack or cold, damp cloth for swelling and pain.
  • Antibiotic cream or ointment, which AAFP says can help prevent infection.
  • Hydrocortisone cream for itching and swelling (NHS, American Academy of Dermatology).
  • Pure aloe vera, which Cleveland Clinic lists among home options for itchy bug bites.

For brown recluse and hobo spider bites, Cleveland Clinic describes daily cleaning with povidone-iodine solution to prevent infection and soaking the bite in sterile saltwater (saline) three times a day. That is care to do along with a doctor’s visit, not instead of one.

What not to do

  • Don’t try to suck out or cut out the venom. Cleveland Clinic says you should never try to suck out or remove venom from a spider bite.
  • Don’t use a tourniquet (MedlinePlus).
  • Don’t scratch. The NHS and Cleveland Clinic warn that scratching can break the skin and cause infection.
  • Don’t rely on home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda; the NHS advises against them.
  • Don’t put ice straight on the skin. Wrap it in a cloth (Merck Manual).
  • Don’t wait it out if the bite looks minor but might be a brown recluse. MedlinePlus warns that a brown recluse bite can look minor at first and become severe over time.
  • A note on pain medicine: MedlinePlus advises not giving stimulants, aspirin or other pain medicine to someone with a bite or sting unless a health care provider prescribed it. Other sources list over-the-counter pain relievers for mild bites. If you’re not sure, or the bite might be from a dangerous spider, ask a pharmacist, your doctor or Poison Help first.

Spider bite treatment for a brown recluse: first aid only

A suspected brown recluse bite needs a doctor. MedlinePlus advises getting emergency care right away, or calling 911 or Poison Help. While you get help:

  • Wash the bite with soap and water.
  • Put wrapped ice on it, 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off.
  • Keep the area still. MedlinePlus says a homemade splint may help for a bite on an arm, leg, hand or foot.
  • Loosen clothing and take off rings or tight jewelry.
  • Bring the spider in a closed container if it’s safe to do so.

What happens next, including how the wound is cared for over the following weeks, is covered on the video page. First aid for a suspected black widow bite is the same (MedlinePlus), but call 911 or Poison Help right away.

What a doctor may do

What your doctor does depends on the bite. Sources describe:

  • Checking whether it’s really a spider bite. The Merck Manual and American Family Physician say skin infections, including MRSA, are often mistaken for spider bites. Cleveland Clinic says a provider may test fluid from a blister to rule out infection. Infection needs different treatment, such as draining an abscess (MedlinePlus).
  • Wound care. For a brown recluse bite, the 2022 review in American Family Physician, the AAFP’s journal, recommends simple wound care with soap and water. The Merck Manual says the sore should be cleaned daily, and that wounds with moderate to severe damage may need surgical repair. Most heal without complications.
  • Antibiotics only if it’s infected. AAFP says your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic for infection. American Family Physician advises antibiotics for brown recluse bites only when the wound is infected.
  • A tetanus shot if you need one. AAFP says your doctor may give a tetanus shot if you haven’t had one in the past 5 years. American Family Physician recommends tetanus protection for brown recluse bites, and for black widow bites when needed.
  • Pain and muscle spasm treatment for a black widow bite. The Merck Manual says pain and muscle spasms are treated with sedating medicines that may relax muscles and with opioid pain relievers, and antivenom is given for severe symptoms. American Family Physician says antivenom is generally saved for severe cases that don’t respond to other treatment. Merck says people younger than 16 or older than 60, and people with high blood pressure or heart disease, usually need a hospital stay.
  • No antivenom for brown recluse. American Family Physician says brown recluse antivenom is not available in the United States and is not recommended. The same review says several treatments that have been tried for brown recluse wounds, including dapsone, corticosteroids, antihistamines, early surgery to cut out the wound, and hyperbaric oxygen, have been shown not to work or to cause harm. Some people later need surgery to improve a scar.

When to see a doctor

Call your doctor or get seen if:

  • pain gets worse 24 hours after the bite (AAFP)
  • redness spreads, or fluid or pus leaks from the bite
  • the bite forms a bull’s-eye, a blister or an open sore, or the center turns dark
  • you have a fever, chills, body aches, nausea or vomiting
  • symptoms get worse or don’t improve after a few days (Cleveland Clinic)
  • you’re not sure when you last had a tetanus shot
  • the person bitten is a young child or an older adult; AAFP says they should see a doctor after a possible bite

For the full list of warning signs, see When to worry about a spider bite. Not sure it was a spider at all? See What does a spider bite look like?

Go to the ER or call 911 if

  • there’s trouble breathing, wheezing or trouble swallowing
  • the face, lips, mouth or tongue swell, or the throat feels tight
  • there’s chest pain or tightness, or a racing heartbeat
  • the person feels faint, passes out or has a seizure
  • there are severe muscle cramps, belly pain or sweating after a bite
  • you think a brown recluse or black widow bit you

Frequently asked questions

What is the best treatment for a spider bite?

For most bites: wash with soap and water, apply a wrapped cold pack, raise the area, and use an antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream for itching. Most bites fade on their own within several days, AAFP says. A suspected brown recluse or black widow bite needs a doctor.

What can I put on a spider bite?

A cold pack, an antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection, and hydrocortisone cream for itching are all options sources list. Keep it clean, and don’t scratch it.

Should I put ice or heat on a spider bite?

Sources recommend cold: ice wrapped in a cloth, or a cold, damp washcloth. MedlinePlus suggests 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off. Don’t put ice directly on the skin.

How do you treat a brown recluse bite at home?

You don’t treat it only at home. Get medical care right away. While you do, wash it, put wrapped ice on it, keep the area still, take off rings or tight jewelry, and bring the spider if you can. See the video page for what happens next.

Do I need a tetanus shot for a spider bite?

Maybe. AAFP says your doctor may give a tetanus shot if you haven’t had one in the past 5 years, and American Family Physician recommends tetanus protection for brown recluse bites. Ask your doctor if you’re not sure when you last had one.

Do spider bites need antibiotics?

Usually not. Antibiotics are for bites that become infected, with spreading redness, warmth, pus or fever. American Family Physician advises antibiotics for brown recluse bites only when the wound is infected.

Find a doctor

A family physician can check a bite, clean the wound, update your tetanus shot and follow the bite as it heals. Doctors on Best Docs Network who can check a spider bite include:

Sources

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified health professional about your own situation. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911.

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