LadyNTrainer
Posts: 1584
Joined: 5/20/2009 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: thetammyjo For example: I hate spiders, always have and am in fact slightly allergic to them so being bit makes a welt where it would do nothing for the average person. I see my fear as a reflection of this allergy really though I didn't learn about it until many years later. I think it is highly likely that there is something going on here that is not related to subcutaneous exposures to venoms or proteins of arachnid origin, for a number of reasons. Allergic response to envenomation, even a relatively trivial envenomation, is characterized by systemic symptoms that are usually severe and which may be immediately life-threatening. What you're talking about is allergic contact dermatitis, or possibly irritant contact dermatitis, and it is *not* known to be caused by arachnid envenomation despite common medical misdiagnoses of "spider bite" for a wide range of common conditions. A number of excellent papers including a position statement by the AMA have been published decrying frequent medical misdiagnosis of loxoscelism and necrotic arachnidism where possible culprits do not exist, and physicians completely missing the appropriate differentials for their geographic area. True insects are a frequent culprit, as are toxic plants, mites and bacteria. People are taught that the vast majority of spiders are harmless to humans, and that is true, but it's not because their venom is too weak (though in many cases, that is also true). The majority of spiders literally cannot bite people, because their specially adapted biting mechanisms are incapable of penetrating or even scratching human epidermis. It is actually rather difficult to be bitten by a spider if you happen to be a human, and a lot fewer people manage this trick than you might think from all the diagnoses that occur in hospitals around the country. Very few spider venoms or proteins are commercially available, and I do not think any are routinely stocked as testing supplies at allergy clinics. You may not like spiders or want them in your home, but you may also want to get a better dx for the real cause of your contact dermatitis in case it ever becomes medically relevant.
< Message edited by LadyNTrainer -- 4/22/2010 10:53:58 AM >
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