2006-06-23 09:11:20 · 13 answers · asked by mutantduke 2 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
Leeches need blood to survive. They attach themselves to you and suck the blood. To remove a leech if it's really stuck and you can't scrap it off pour salt on it or completely cover it with petroleum jelly and it will loosen itself or drop off..Leeches are used medicinally so I don't think they are harmful so much as just gross. lol
2006-06-23 09:21:31 · answer #1 · answered by jimminycricket 4 · 5⤊ 2⤋
The presence of hirudin in the wound following a leech bite may cause oozing to continue for several hours. Although inconvenient, blood loss is not significant.
Gut bacteria can cause wound infection. In the post-operative use of leeches this is closely monitored and dealt with by use of the appropriate antibiotic.
There may also be a delayed irritation and itching after a bite. There appears to be no support for the theory that mouthparts left behind after forced removal of the leech causes this reaction.
Can leeches transmit disease? There is no evidence to suggest that they do. The presence of trypanosomes, (malarial parasites), in the gut of jawless leeches has been noted, but jawed leeches do not appear to be hosts.
Allergy to leech bite has been reported. Medical opinion should be sought, depending on the severity of the reaction.
Uses in Medicine
For over 2000 years, leeches were needlessly applied for many ailments as an adjunct to blood letting. Their use in Europe peaked between 1830 and 1850, but subsequent shortages led to a decline in their use. Today there is a real clinical application in that they are of great value to plastic surgeons when venous congestion of skin and muscle flaps is a problem.
Leeches are treated in the same way as blood products and are reused only on the same patient.
Medical use of leeches also includes treatment of black eyes, and hirudin is used in the treatment of inflammation of the middle ear. Hirudin is also being developed for experimental use as a systemic anticoagulant, and may prove useful in invitro blood sampling.
2006-06-23 16:20:02 · answer #2 · answered by Jigyasu Prani 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wild Leeches can be bad for you, because they could pass on diseases. They do not pass on Lyme Disease, Tics are most commonly noted for passing Lyme Disease.
However, leeches in general have been used for centuries for medical purposes. They are used today for a variety of reasons, one of those being when a person amputates a finger, and they reattach it. The use the leech on the end of the finger that was reattached, to create consistent blood flow which helps the finger heal.
When a leech attaches to your skin, it uses three sets of saw like teeth to cut a small hole through your skin. Then it pumps a solution into your wound that numbs the location and prevents your blood from clotting.
2006-06-23 16:22:10 · answer #3 · answered by ReggieWjr1 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
leeches suck your blood and can carry diseases but sometimes in the medical field doctors will attach leeches on to people to suck out blood from clots.
back in the day it was believed that if you removed alot of your blood with leeches while you were sick you would get better because the leeches removed the 'bad blood', not a practice used today.
2006-06-23 16:25:27 · answer #4 · answered by Summer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leeches secrete juice on the spot they stick on the body.The juice prevents clotting of blood and also any kind of burning sensation.Thus they easily suck blood from our body without clotting.
The same phenomena is sometimes used for therapy and cure of some specific diseases.So,it's not bad all the time.But, normally its dangerous as leeches cant be plucked out,they get streached out like "rubber" and until we put salt on its mouth it doesnt leave sucking.
2006-06-23 16:20:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is bad for you if leeches stick to you-- They will suck your blood.
2006-06-23 16:16:12 · answer #6 · answered by ole_lady_93 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
leeches leech u hehe they r yucky but useful ...their saliva is anticoagulant and doctors use them as a bloodletting tools - one reason y doctors r called leeches hehe
2006-06-23 16:30:26 · answer #7 · answered by MissKz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah its bad they suck your blood. if you got leeches on you i would go to the emergency room right now and get them removed.
2006-06-23 16:19:25 · answer #8 · answered by alexia 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes its bad!!! they stick on to your skin and suck the blood to the surface of the skin and they also transfer lime disease
2006-06-23 16:15:28 · answer #9 · answered by shay 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They attach themselves to you and suck your blood.
It's bad if they have a disease because you could catch the disease.
2006-06-23 16:14:56 · answer #10 · answered by Tavita 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋