Overview
Leeches are a type of parasitic worm that live in water or on land, usually in grasses. They feed by sucking blood from other animals’ human beings, including these creatures that can attach themselves to humans and feed on their blood. Humans mostly get it from outdoor activities like swimming and hiking; while these are great activities to engage in as a means of staying healthy, they can also lead to rashes, sunburns, bug bites, and parasites. And one could contract a leach through these activities.
Leeches are of different species; the type in water might not be the type on land, no matter the species, no type of leech is okay to be found on the body. Leeches attach themselves to the flesh by using a sticky mucous and suction and then begin to suck the blood out while releasing the anticoagulant hirudin into their victim’s bloodstream. Also, the more blood they suck, the bigger they get, and the bigger they get, the more blood they can get. This is why it is best to notice quickly if you have any leech on you.
One might not quickly know when a leech is on their flesh because bites from leeches are not painful, so except you pay attention to other symptoms of leech bites, you may not know that they are on you. Although this is only the case for smaller species, bites from larger species can cause pain. Finding a leech on your body can be scary, but you don’t need to panic, there are simple steps and procedures you can follow that would help remove a leech from your body without any pain or complication from a bite. As a matter of fact, the real danger from leech bite comes from improper removal.