A local woman is speaking out after being bitten and nearly losing her forearm to a brown recluse spider bite.
“I just started to get an inkling this is worse than just a spider bite or anything else. By the time I went to the doctor my arm was big and black with streaks. The doctor took one look at it and said ‘that’s a brown recluse bite you need to get to the ER,’” Niki Hughes, who was bitten by a Brown Recluse said.
Hughes said the bite began eating her flesh and she had to stay in the hospital for multiple days. Dr. Ryan Lewis the CEO of Star ER in Lubbock said seeing these types of spider bites are common in Lubbock, but those who fall victim to a bite need to be seen immediately.
“The classic finding with brown recluse, after a certain amount of time it actually breaks the skin tissue down and then you get an ‘s-scar.’ You won’t see that immediately after bitten, it would have to progress,” Dr. Lewis said.
The bite starts out and looks like any other bug bite. Dr. Lewis said those most vulnerable are young children, elderly and others with immune deficiencies.
If you believe you’ve been bitten by a brown recluse, Dr. Lewis suggests you go to the doctor and if possible bring the spider along with you so they can better diagnose the bite.
