NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It's happening all across middle Tennessee: A spider roughly the size of a quarter is causing sickness and injury to a surprising number of people.

Video: Brown Recluse Spider Leaving Mark In Middle Tenn.

Not everyone who is bitten by this spider experiences serious medical problems. But from Hendersonville to Coffee County, Nashville to Goodlettsville -- the brown recluse is leaving its mark.

"We've had some patients who are healthy otherwise that may come in with extreme tiredness, shortness of breath. They feel like they can't get any air," said Dr. John Benitez, director of Tennessee's Poison Control Center.

Benitez said this spider's venom is no joke.

"It starts digesting the tissue a little bit, so that starts setting up an inflammation," Benitez said. "You may see some redness, little bit of swelling that gradually progresses."

One bite can make a person very sick.

"Now my fear is will I ever be able to lay down again?" said Angel McPherson, who was asleep in her bed when she felt something crawling on her face and smacked it with her hand.

"He said, 'Oh, here's the fang,' and they removed it. I'm thinking, I mean, I was in shock," said McPherson.

The incident scarred her physically and emotionally. She credits doctors at Vanderbilt with saving her eyesight.

"They treated it aggressively. So now I have 20-20 (vision), thanks to them," McPherson said.

The brown recluse, also known as the violin spider because of distinctive marking on its back, is considered non-aggressive. It hides in dark places, such as closets, curtains, bedding and clothing.

A Hendersonville woman left her jeans on the floor. She was bitten after she put them back on.

"I couldn't walk," said Abby Blackburn. "By the time I was in the hospital, I couldn't put weight on that leg."

She spent five days in the hospital and weeks recovering.

To protect their three children, the Blackburns now use glue traps throughout their home.

Since 2006, more than 380 Tennesseans have been caught in the spider's web of pain. That year was also a benchmark year, with 107 cases logged by Poison Control.

So far in 2009, there have already been 102 cases.

Pest control and spider traps can help. But knowing where these spiders hide can keep you safe.

"First time I was bit, I was moving some boxes," said Mike Armistead, a Nashville firefighter. He was bitten two different times by a brown recluse. He was holding a box when the spider fell out and bit him on his forearm.

It caused swelling and lots of pain. He suffered a second more serious bite after another spider crawled into his pants, draped over a chair at home.

"I yanked my jeans off real quick, and he rolled right out of the jeans and took off under the bed," said Armistead. "The pain starts, and it's equal to an open flame on whatever body part."

He was hospitalized for days, and the doctor warned him he might lose his leg.

Since his close encounters, Armistead has spent hundreds on pest control for his home and now carries a brown recluse First-Aid kit to help slow down the spread of venom and minimize skin damage.

"Wouldn't be that noticeable to some people, and then you'll get people who've lost digits, lost arms," Armistead said.

Pest control experts said these spiders are difficult to kill. Eliminating their food source, other insects, should help. Be sure to store items in plastic bins, including your shoes. Shake out your clothes before you put them on. And be sure to seal any cracks or holes in and around your home.

The brown recluse is one of the few spiders in Tennessee capable of penetrating human skin with its fangs. If you suffer a bite, get to a doctor right away.

Related Links:

Poisonous Spiders in Tennessee