Sometimes a simple bite can lead to a hospital admission. This was the case of Noah Johnson, a 16-year-old boy from Iowa, who after being bitten by a spider, ended up losing even his speech. He is just an ordinary child, a fan of baseball and the gym. To earn some money, he started working at an outdoor construction company in Slater, Iowa, United States. After several hours, he alerted his mother about the pain and the size of the bite, which had increased significantly. His mother took him to the hospital with a 40-degree fever, where they prescribed antibiotics for the bacterial infection, which had no effect on him.
He was operated on to remove the areas affected by the sting, but just the next day he suffered a kidney failure, so he had to undergo dialysis and be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite the scare, Noah is already at home, recovering little by little. His mother has opened a website to raise funds to cover his recovery. It is important to pay attention to these kinds of situations, but also to stay calm, as there is nothing in common between the sting of a venomous spider and one that is not.
What happens if I get bitten by a spider?
Spider bites usually do not lead to serious issues, as they cannot even penetrate the skin to cause significant harm to humans. Most of the time, only symptoms around the bite appear, such as mild itching or swelling. The most common treatment is to take antihistamines, although many people do not even do this. It simply goes away over time. However, if it is a bite from a venomous spider, the situation changes.
The consequences vary depending on the bite, the area of the body, and the type of spider that bites you. In the case of venomous spiders like the black widow or the brown recluse, you must pay more attention. Symptoms include pain, swelling, muscle cramps, difficulty breathing, and even allergic reactions. In those cases, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately to treat it as soon as possible.
What happened to Noah Johnson?
A clear example of a poisonous spider bite was that of Noah Johnson, a 16-year-old boy who experienced a terrifying ordeal. A lover of baseball and the gym, he decided to start a summer job to earn his own money at an outdoor construction company in Slater, Iowa, after finishing school. It was there that he noticed something sliding down his leg. At first, it seemed like a normal bite, but after several days it increased in size and discomfort. His mother took him to the hospital, where he was given antibiotics to reduce the 40-degree fever caused by the bacterial infection, without success.
Consequently, the doctors decided to operate on him to remove all the affected parts from the bite. The next morning, he suffered renal failure that led him to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and to receive dialysis. Little by little he was improving, regaining his speech and the ability to walk. His mother stated, “I thought he was going to die. He was so scared.” After losing 15 kilos and going through one of the most terrifying moments of his life, Noah is now at home, recovering little by little. His mother has even set up a website to raise funds for his recovery, which, according to doctors, will be complete.