How do Leeches drink blood?
- The attach
themselves to their hosts only until they become full, after which they
will simply fall off and start digesting the blood they sucked out.
- When they are
sucking blood they release an anaesthetic, which is the reason why you
don’t feel the leeches when they bite.
- They then use
suction and mucus to stay on their host.
- Once they open
up a bite wound they secrete an anti-clotting enzyme called Hirudin into
the bloodstream so that blood will keep flowing.
- Sometimes the
blood will continue to seep for hours after the leech has been removed,
which is due to the anti-clotting enzyme.
- While
all this may sound disturbing, being bitten by a leech isn’t deadly or
dangerous, in fact, leeches are harmless.
The amount of blood loss isn’t really significant and
when they’re full, which doesn’t take long, they simply fall off and go on with
their lives.
Healing Qualities of Leeches
- The
European Medicinal Leech or Hirudo Medicinalis are used for microsurgery,
grafting, and for constructive surgery.
- Doctors use
leeches for microsurgery because of their ability to remove blood that has
coagulated. They relieve venous congestion and muscle flaps.
- Leeches have
anticoagulant, clot dissolving, anti-inflammatory, vasodilating,
bacteriostatic and
anesthetic
effects that can be used to treat a variety of diseases and conditions.
- Leeches are also
known to treat black eyes.
- Hirodin can be
used to treat infections of the middle ear and is being tested as a
systemic coagulant.
- Leeches were popular during medieval times because they were known to cure infections, and remained a great option for treating infections until antibiotics were discovered
- CONTACT: FOR MORE INFORMATIONDr,Hk.Muhammad AsimEmail: asimhp1980@gmail.com0333-3351833.Mob: 0302-6588817
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