Have you ever felt that creepy sensation
of bugs crawling on your skin
in the middle of the night?
Don't worry, it's probably all in your mind.
But it could actually be spiders.
What if you happened to swallow one?
Should you be worried?
Chances are, some annoying friend of yours
has told you that humans swallow on average
eight spiders every year.
Well, I hate to break it to you,
your friend's right.
The good news is, most of the time,
spiders will die on the way down
and you get a little protein boost.
They're also rich in folic acid and zinc,
so think of it as a healthy late night snack.
As creepy as this all sounds,
there's no need to worry.
Unless you're suffering from arachnophobia,
or even worse, delusory parasitosis.
Known commonly as Ekbom syndrome,
this rare psychological condition
provokes the delusional fear
of being infested by an insect.
Sufferers of Ekbom syndrome
can often feel itchiness, numbness,
or that creepy crawly, prickling sensation
under their skin.
If bugs crawling on you is just a delusion,
Could a real spider actually survive inside you?
Generally, spiders won't target humans
unless they feel threatened.
But what if one just happens
to fall in your mouth?
Could it poison you?
"A spider just went in your mouth!"
Despite popular belief,
there's no such thing as a poisonous spider.
Simply put, eating them is not toxic to us.
In fact, in some cultures,
fried spiders are a delicacy.
Ok, eight-legged snacks aside,
what if a venomous spider
happened to make its way inside you?
Could it kill you?
There are around 40,000 species of spider
and only about 12 of them
can cause serious harm to humans.
Take for instance, the highly venomous
Sydney funnel-web spider,
or Atrax robustus.
They can grow up to 5 cm (2 in) long
with fangs strong enough
to bite through a fingernail.
So much for that manicure.
They're also clingy and like to dig in
to ensure their venom
enters the bloodstream of their prey.
To make matters worse,
they have been known to survive underwater
for up to 30 hours.
As resilient as they are,
thankfully, our stomachs are far more acidic
than water, and even a venomous spider
is no match for that powerful gut of yours.
Unless, of course,
it happens to latch onto your esophagus
on the way down.
Then, you would need about
2 to 12 antivenom injections,
depending on the severity of your symptoms.
There's also the slight chance
that you're allergic to them, in which case,
I'd keep that EpiPen in close reach.
Luckily, venom can only affect you if it's injected.
So even venomous spiders
are safe to accidentally consume.
So what if a spider decides
to lay its eggs in your ear?
Well, this is highly unlikely,
so you can take those earmuffs off.
Even if you did find a nest
all you'd have to do is rinse them out.
Spiders burrowing in humans
is a popular urban legend,
but in reality, they're more likely to avoid you,
so don't expect any superpowers overnight.
Even if they somehow managed
to set up shop in your ear,
once the baby spiders hatched,
they would probably leave your body
in search of food.
Not exactly a pleasant experience,
but nothing a good shower can't fix.
So, you might be asking yourself,
should I wear a bug net while I sleep?
Well, there's really no need,
spiders can sense danger through vibrations,
and we produce a lot of noise.
This 'spidey sense' would likely trigger
if you're snoring like a chainsaw
or even peacefully breathing.
Thankfully, your noisy slumber
will likely deter them.
Even if you sleep with your mouth open,
if a spider managed to crawl in,
you would probably just cough really hard
and kill them in the process.
So the good news is,
spiders simply can't survive inside you.
They are far more likely to hang out
in dark and secluded areas
that aren't a part of your body.
With that said,
it might be time to clean out that closet of yours.
Better safe than sorry.
Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking.
Can't we just get rid of them for good?
Believe it or not,
spiders are vital creatures in our ecosystem.
What would life be like without them?
Well, I have an itsy bitsy feeling,
that's a story for another WHAT IF.