Additional complications may occur due to the infection of the bite. However, with some untreated individuals, symptoms may diminish in several hours and be gone in several days after agony. Bites are uncommon and serious long-term complications or death are rare. Only four deaths were officially attributed to black widow bites in the United States from 1960-69. If bitten, remain calm, collect the spider, if possible, for positive identification and get medical attention immediately.
First aid is of limited help.
Application of a mild antiseptic such as iodine or hydrogen peroxide prevents infection. Persons younger than 16 and older than 60, especially those with a heart condition, may require a hospital stay. A physician can give specific antivenom or calcium gluconate to relieve pain. Healthy people recover rapidly in two to five days. The black widow spider is shy and nocturnal in habit, usually staying in her hidden web.