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- Dictionaryleech/liːtʃ/
noun
- 1. an aquatic or terrestrial annelid worm with suckers at both ends. Many species are bloodsucking parasites, especially of vertebrates, and others are predators.
- 2. a person who extorts profit from or sponges on others: "they are leeches feeding off the hard-working majority"
verb
- 1. habitually exploit or rely on: "he's leeching off the abilities of others"
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Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodies that can lengthen and contract. Both groups are hermaphrodites and have a clitellum, but leeches ...
- Overview
- What is a leech?
- How do I safely remove a leech?
- Are leeches dangerous?
- How do I recognize a leech?
- Pictures of leeches
- When should I contact a doctor?
- How are leech bites treated?
- How to prevent a leech bite
- The bottom line
Outdoor activities like swimming and hiking are a great way to stay healthy. But they can also sometimes lead to rashes, sunburns, bug bites, and parasites like leeches.
Finding a leech on your body can be scary, but you don’t need to panic. We’ll give you simple steps that can help you calmly and safely remove a leech without any pain or complications from the bite.
Leeches are parasites that belong to the same family of organisms as worms. They can have both male and female reproductive organs, which means they can reproduce sexually, fertilize themselves, or both.
There are more than 600 species of leeches. You can encounter them most often in grasses or fresh water, though some species live in marine water. As parasites, they need to feed off a host in order to survive.
Many leech species are sanguinivorous, which means that they feed on blood. Once they attach themselves to a human, they’ll begin to suck their blood.
Leeches can also expand up to 10 times their size while feeding, allowing them to consume a lot of your blood at one time.
Steps for removing a leech
The basic leech removal steps are: 1.Locate the head and mouth. A leech’s head is smaller and slimmer than the rest of its body. Look for the narrowest part of the leech to locate its mouth. This is usually the part attached to your skin. 2.Pull the skin under the leech taut. Use one hand to gently pull your skin under the leech until it’s taut. 3.Slide a fingernail underneath the mouth. Gently slide a fingernail under the leech’s mouth to separate it from your skin. 4.Flick the leech away. Use your fingers to flick the leech away before it reattaches. 5.Clean the wound. Clean your wound with rubbing alcohol or a first-aid cleanser to help avoid infection. 6.Bandage your wound. You’ll see a lot of bleeding when you remove the leech. Clean the wound and then use a sterile bandage to cover it. Change the bandage frequently for the first few hours until bleeding stops. Was this helpful? You can also try these alternative methods for removing a leech: •Using a piece of paper or a credit card instead of your fingernail. For this method, you’ll follow all the same steps as above, but you’ll slide a thin piece of paper or a credit card under the leech’s mouth instead of your finger. •Letting the leech fall off naturally. Usually, this can take about 30-45 minutes. You can wait for the leech to detach itself when it’s finished feeding, especially if you’re having trouble removing it. If the leech does not fall off for a long time or attaches to a hard to reach area, having it medically removed is the best course of action.
Removing leeches from difficult locations
Leeches will sometimes attach to hard-to-reach areas, like your ear canal, nose, or mouth. This can make it difficult to use the above methods for removal. If this happens, try one or more of the following: •Use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. To remove a leech from your mouth, gargle with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide for about 30 seconds. Swish the alcohol or peroxide in your mouth like mouthwash, then spit it out. Check to see if the leech comes out with it. •Puncture the leech. Leeches can grow up to 10 times their original size when they’re feeding. Sometimes, this can cause them to block an area like your nose or ear. Use a sharp object to pop the leech, killing it and making it easier to remove. In some cases, the removal method will depend on the location the leech attaches to and may need the help of a medical professional to remove. Leeches that attach internally may require surgery to remove. This can happen if a person swallows contaminated water.
What not to do
Do not remove a leech using any of the following methods. These can cause the leech to vomit blood into your wound and increase your risk of infection: •salting •fire •shampoo •bug repellant •pulling the leech
Many leech bites can lead to itching at the affected site, as well purpura. This is not necessarily dangerous. Most leech bites are harmless. Usually, the leech can be removed easily without the need for medical attention.
But the bite can cause extended bleeding at the attachment site even after the leech is removed. This is because the saliva from leeches is an anticoagulant and interferes with the blood’s normal clotting.
In rare cases, some people may experience an allergic reaction to leech bites. People with a history of allergies or anaphylaxis need to be extra careful. Those who are taking anticoagulant medications are at risk for more prolonged bleeding after a bite.
In addition, most leeches carry the bacteria Aeromonas in their gut, which could infect the leech site. A person who has been exposed to a leech can get prophylactic antibiotics as a precaution.
Research has shown that a person can potentially contract other infectious diseases from a leech bite like Hepatitis B or Malaria. But these kinds of infections also appear to be rare.
Additional research has found that some leeches may carry other viruses like HIV. But there isn’t evidence to suggest that humans have actually been infected with HIV from a leech.
Leeches are long, tube-shaped animals. They’re similar in appearance to worms and can be anywhere from just a few millimeters to up to 20 inches long.
Most leeches have visible eyes on the top of their bodies and round mouths with several rows of teeth. Leeches can be spotted, striped, or solidly colored. They have two suckers on each end of their bodies. Leeches use their suckers to grasp, feed, and move around.
Additionally, leeches are generally:
•flat
•wide
•segmented
Leeches are commonly found in freshwater lakes and tall grasses. Check out the gallery below to get an idea of how to spot a leech.
You should contact a doctor if you can’t remove the leech yourself or if your wound becomes infected. Signs of infection include:
•fever
•pain
•redness
•discharge from the wound
If you experience a mild allergic reaction, take an over-the-counter antihistamine. A severe allergy is rare, but it’s best to be on the lookout for symptoms, including:
When you need medical attention or have trouble removing a leech, a doctor can use medical instruments to remove leeches in hard-to-reach places.
Once a doctor removes the leech and cleans the wound, treatment will depend on the wound and your reaction to it. Your doctor might suggest:
•specialized bandages to cover and protect wounds in places prone to infection
•antibiotic medications, creams, or ointments to prevent or stop an infection
•prescription-strength antihistamines to stop allergic reactions
•ice or cool compresses to help with any swelling
Before you enter a body of water, ask or research to learn if the water may have leeches. If yes, you may choose to avoid entering the water.
If you do enter freshwater or go walking in an area where leeches may be present, some precautions can be helpful.
They include:
•wearing anti-leech protective socks
•using a salt spray
•using insect repellants like DEPA or DEET
Finding a leech on your skin can be alarming. But except in rare cases, leeches aren’t generally harmful.
You can carefully remove a leech by using your fingernail or a sheet of paper to separate the leech’s mouth from your skin. Don’t use methods like salting, burning, or drowning to remove a leech, as these can lead to infection.
Sep 28, 2024 · leech, (subclass Hirudinea), any of about 650 species of segmented worms (phylum Annelida) characterized by a small sucker, which contains the mouth, at the anterior end of the body and a large sucker located at the posterior end. All leeches have 34 body segments. The length of the body ranges from minute to about 20 cm (8 inches) or even ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The meaning of LEECH is any of numerous carnivorous or bloodsucking usually freshwater annelid worms (class Hirudinea) that have typically a flattened lanceolate segmented body with a sucker at each end.
Feb 5, 2024 · Leeches: Life History and Identification. Despite their gruesome reputation leeches are fascinating animals. This talk will explore their natural history and cultural significance, including why leech conservation is important and what it involves. Craig will also give an overview of British leech diversity and provide information on some of ...
Leeches in Madagascar. Leeches are annelids, closely related to earthworms. They have suction on their anterior to cling to their prey while they pierce the skin and ingest blood with their mouth, on the opposite end. Their body, between either end, is little more than a fluid-filled sac, which can retract and expand as it fills with blood.
8 Characteristics of leeches. A leech’s head has suckers that allows it to attach itself to fish and other animals so it can drink blood from this host. Here are some lesser known characteristics of leeches. 1. Have 34 body segments. Leech on white table. Leech segmentation is a distinct feature of their anatomy.
