Leech bites are not dangerous or painful, just annoying. Unlike some other creatures that bite, leeches don't cause stinging, carry diseases or leave a poisonous stinger in the wound. The bite doesn't hurt since leeches release an anaesthetic when they bite, but due to the anticoagulant, the wounds bleed a fair bit.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 approved the use of leeches for localized venous congestion after surgery, recognizing them as living, breathing medical devices. Given that the scientific name for the leech is hirudinea, their use for medical purposes is often referred to as hirudotherapy.
Most of the time, leeches will fasten onto your exposed skin. But occasionally, a leech will pass through one of the body's orifices and attach internally. Leeches have made their way into people's eyes, ears, noses, throats, urethras, bladders, rectums, vaginas, and stomachs.
The leeches don't fix these ailments directly, Plucinski said. Rather, they remove toxins, improve blood flow and pump healthy enzymes into the organs, helping the body to heal itself.
Some feed on the blood of humans and other mammals, while others parasitise fish, frogs, turtles or birds. Some leeches will even take a meal from other sanguivorous leeches which may die after the attack. After feeding the leech retires to a dark spot to digest its meal.
Bloodletting was thought to be beneficial in healing nearly every disease, from acne and asthma, to cancer and smallpox. Even the loss of blood from a wound was treated by… removing more blood! Bloodletting the already-wounded was thought to reduce inflammation (which is why it was employed prior to surgery as well).
Treatment for pruritis is typically not necessary as the itching quickly resolves, but topical steroids may be applied if itching is intense. The purpuric papules usually take two to three weeks to flatten and disappear. In some cases, reactions may be more severe.
First Aid
- After the leech has been removed, wash with soap and water.
- Apply a cold pack and take a simple analgesic if required to relieve pain or swelling.
- Apply pressure if there is bleeding from the bite.
- Seek medical attention if the area becomes infected or if a wound or ulcer develops.
Haementeria ghilianii, the giant Amazon leech, is one of the world's largest species of leeches. It can grow to 450 mm (17.7 in) in length and 100 mm (3.9 in) in width.
| Haementeria ghilianii |
|---|
| Genus: | Haementeria |
| Species: | H. ghilianii |
| Binomial name |
| Haementeria ghilianii |
The short answer is that leeches need blood to grow and reproduce (make baby leeches). They suck blood because it is a very good food source for them. Some leeches only need to feed once a year.
[3][4][5] An adult leech can ingest 1 milliliter per minute of blood, and the area of attachment can bleed for 10 hours to as long as 7 days in some instances. Land leeches can penetrate thick skin, while aquatic leeches attach to mucous membranes leading to prolonged bleeding.
Leeches are not known to transmit any diseases to humans. Nor are black flies. One key feature of bloodsucking animals that can transmit diseases is that they have multiple blood meals over their lives, says Currie. That includes ticks, which can carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick paralysis.
Most leeches live in the water, though some can survive dry periods water by burrowing in the mud. Some leeches even live in moist environments on the land.
When ingested through the mouth in drinking water, they attach themselves to the linings of the nose or throat. Suffocation is a common cause of death for domestic animals. External wounds from leeches are less dangerous, but they may cause a secondary infection (1).
Leeches are excellent swimmers. They come out of their hiding spot and attach themselves to their host animal (which sometimes ends up being a person). They have sharp teeth which are used to cut into the skin of the host animal.
"If you do find a leech attached to you, don't pull it off, as the mouth parts can remain under your skin and leave a slowly healing granuloma, or lump. "You can encourage the leech to detach on its own by heating it with a lighted cigarette; just as effectively, you can apply some DEET, alcohol or table salt.
Leeches are effective at increasing blood circulation and breaking up blood clots. It should be no surprise that they can be used to treat circulatory disorders and cardiovascular disease. Chemicals derived from leech saliva have been made into pharmaceutical drugs that can treat: hypertension.
Leeches should be fed about once a month, but can go for up to six months without feeding. Their water should be changed weekly to keep levels of toxins, decaying matter, and debris at a minimum.
Leeches and medicineIn fact, leeches have been used to treat human diseases for thousands of years. Their blood sucking ability was thought to be useful in sucking diseased or “bad” blood out of the body and so sick people had leeches applied regularly.
Physicians have used the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, to reduce swelling, prevent blood clots, and heal bruises for more than 2000 years. The 8-centimeter-long leeches were once abundant throughout freshwater streams and ponds of western Europe, where they fed on blood from amphibians or mammals.
How do they grow? Leeches lay eggs in cocoons, and the babies that hatch out look and behave like little adults. They don't change much as they grow, they just get bigger. Leeches that live in habitats that freeze or dry out during part of the year bury themselves in mud and stay dormant until the habitat improves.
Note: Several species of leeches also occur in the UK, although there is only thought to be one blood-sucking variety. The biggest population of these is found in Romney Marsh, a wetland area of Kent.
