Matt Wilkinson

" There was an Old Lady who swallowed a Spider that wriggled, and jiggled and tickled inside Her . . "

According to The rhyme and song, The unfortunate woman swallowed The arachnid to catch a fly she had previously eaten - followed by A Number of other creatures in an attempt to solve The original issue.

But . . let's concentrate on The Spider .

Assuming you don't gulp one down On Purpose , is it likely you can swallow a Spider unintentionally in your sleep?

Chris Cowsley, a Hertfordshire postal worker, believes.

He was taken to hospital last month after Waking Up recently choking in The Early Hours .

Unable to Breathe - and after calling 999 - He Said an ambulance paramedic told him it seemed likely his uvula - The fleshy hanging ball at The back of The throat - had been.

His throat swelled up and his breathing was seriously impaired.

Mr Cowsley says he thought he " was going to die".

The Hospital said it was not sure what had caused Mr Cowsley's breathing problems - though a specialist, Mr Cowsley says, did suggest The Paramedic 's Spider bite theory might have merit.

The British Arachnological Society says as natural pest controllers, spiders are " second to none".

" They are predators and their main prey are insects, many of which eat our crops and pester our livestock, " its website suggests.

A in Switzerland in 2017 found spiders have an enormous ecological impact as Natural Enemies of insects.

The Report states: " With More Than 45,000 species and a population density of up to 1,000 individuals per Square Metre , spiders are one of The World 's most species-rich and widespread groups of predators. "

They calculated that " The global Spider population (with a weight of around 25 million tons) wipes out an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey every year".

Spider experts, however, are less convinced that a Spider was The Culprit for Mr Cowsley's breathing problem.

Dr Matt Wilkinson , from Cambridge University's department of zoology, says: " There 's a Myth that you swallow about eight spiders a year in your sleep.

" It is a Myth - though one that many people accept as reality. "

It is unclear where The Spider -swallowing story originated, But The Myth is so embedded it has morphed into The Stuff of Urban Legend , Dr Wilkinson says.

" It's really curious that This Was The gut instinct reaction [of those treating Mr Cowsley, " he says.

Dr Wilkinson and others are highly dubious that a Spider bite led to Mr Cowsley's unfortunate incident.

" Very few spiders in Britain can bite you and The only possible one is The false widow - it's pretty big and you'd wake up if that was in your throat, " Dr Wilkinson says.

" It's not going to crawl in There - There 's air going in and out and it's just not going in There . "

Experts agree that Most People would wake up if a Spider was on their face.

" You'd know about it long before it bit you, " Dr Wilkinson said.

He was aware that medical staff had suggested a Spider bite may have caused Mr Cowsley's breathing difficulties, But said: " I'd need some pretty hefty Evidence .

" Show Me The Evidence - The Remains of The Spider - Show Me The bite.

" I just cannot imagine a Spider did this. "

Dr Geoff Oxford, honorary secretary of The British Arachnological Society, agreed that The Story of swallowing eight spiders a year while sleeping was " a Myth ".

" If someone's sleeping, they're breathing Hot Air in and out, " He Said .

" Why on earth would a Spider go in? They just don't do that. "

The NHS says although Spider bites in The UK are uncommon, some can leave people feeling sick, sweating or dizzy.

They can also become infected and, in rare cases, causes a severe allergic reaction. if people suffer " any severe or worrying symptoms after a Spider bite".

As for Mr Cowsley, his apparent run-in with his accidental arachnid meal has left him none-The -worse health-wise.

Nor has he become an overnight arachnophobe.

However, one of The First things he did after his hospital visit was to buy a set of insect repellents, because, he says, " I'm not having that anymore".

Source of news: bbc.com