Not everyone factors in an encounter with leeches, while on a trek or trip to a forest hill station.
These are small, dark, slimy insects which stick on to your body, and suck blood, causing considerable panic among hikers and travellers. The sight of blood naturally unsettles people, who wonder if they are in any sort of trouble, and whether the bite could be poisonous and so on.
The good news is that leech bite is seldom a cause for worry. Unless the leech has entered the nose or ears or some other private part of the body, there isn’t need for alarm at all.
Often one does not even realise when the leech bites you and leaves an area of your body gushing with blood. “The saliva which the leech injects into the wound it makes, contains a substance which prevents clotting of the blood. So the bleeding continues for a while," says Dr R Sudhakaran, retired DMO, Ernakulam. The leech could well suck for 20 minutes, and then drops off on its own when it has had its fill. You will notice the leech swelling up twice or thrice its size after sucking blood.
Trekker P Suhasini says she was petrified on a recent visit to a rainforest in Munnar. “The leeches entered everywhere. Shoes, socks, hair, jacket. It was scary, and the sight of blood everywhere was terrifying. Everyone was shrieking which added to the panic. But thankfully nothing happened, and we found ourselves safe, though one or two leeches did emerge out of our clothes even later,” she recollects.
Normally, people tend to carry salt with them which they sprinkle on the leech for it to drop off. The other technique is to light a matchstick or lighter next to the leech. This mostly works, though it could make the area itchy. Apart from salt and flame, applying kerosene to the body also keeps leeches at bay. One more option is to sprinkle soap water. Forcibly plucking out the leech isn’t recommended though. “The leech will then leave its teeth and other gut contents on the bitten area, which can cause secondary wound infections,” says the doctor.
So if a few leeches have bitten you or drawn a bit of blood, don’t be alarmed. “There is only a problem if large number of leeches have bitten you. Then there is a heavy loss of blood and the person feels giddy,” he says.
Also, since one barely realises when the leech gets on to the body, there’s a chance of it entering the private parts that causes some complications. One should take due precautions while entering a river etc. Be securely clothed. Again, not a serious cause of worry, but for sure would need medical intervention.
When you have a leech bite, many will cheer you up citing its health benefits. Leech therapy is an ancient but prevalent blood-letting technique where doctors use it to treat several illnesses and skin diseases. This is done in a controlled, safe way.
So next time you encounter a leech situation, stay cool and remember there’s no crisis.
