What is the neuroscience behind a black widow bite?

The main active ingredient in Black Widow venom is alpha-latrotoxin (a-LTX) . When you are bit by a spider the venom enters your blood stream and a-LTX acts upon cholinergic motor neurons in the periphery. Ultimately this results in ACh release. read more

The main active ingredient in Black Widow venom is alpha-latrotoxin (a-LTX) . When you are bit by a spider the venom enters your blood stream and a-LTX acts upon cholinergic motor neurons in the periphery. read more

Black widows have such tiny fangs and so little contact with unclean stuff that there is not much chance of getting an infected bite. Nevertheless, you probably would feel better if you washed any suspected spider bite, and maybe put some non-greasy (penetrating) antimicrobial on it. For such tiny puncture wounds I probably would use rubbing alcohol. read more

Treatment for a black widow bite will vary depending on your health, symptoms, and the severity of the bite. You may be given medication to help ease your pain. You might also be given medications to help lower the high blood pressure that sometimes accompanies a black widow spider bite. read more