You might want to stop reading if you’re squeamish.
On Monday (6 Nov), a Thai man took to Facebook to share that a leech had crawled into his friend’s eye while they were out hiking.
Source: iNaturalist, for illustration purposes only
They were only able to remove it after 30 minutes, his friend screaming from the pain.
The man added that for similar situations, using salt or salt water to get the leech out is advised.
According to Thaiger, Apichart Prommathat described the incident as “unbelievable” yet “true and very frightening”.
He was hiking with a friend when the latter set his camera on the ground at one point to search for a good place to take photos.
Unbeknownst to them, a leech had crawled on top of the device, settling on the viewfinder.
Picking up his camera, his friend failed to notice the leech and lifted the device to his face, the viewfinder aligning with his eye.
The leech then crawled into his eye and attached itself near his tear duct, sucking the man’s blood.
Source: Facebook
Mr Apichart’s friend promptly reacted by screaming in pain, and both of them spent about half an hour trying to pull it out with their fingers.
This was because they lacked the correct equipment and were unsure of how to remove the leech the proper way.
They eventually succeeded, although Mr Apichart noted that it was difficult due to how slippery the leech was.
He added that his friend’s eye had turned red from the incident.
Mr Apichart went on to share that he spoke to other trekkers for advice on dealing with leeches.
They recommended carrying salt or salt water and dropping it into the eyes to get rid of the leech. This would make it easier to pull the leech out.
In addition, Mr Apichart warned that some forests might have leeches lurking on leaves at eye level.
As such, he suggested carrying medicine as a precaution.
Also read: Crocodile Lurks Behind Fence Along Sungei Buloh Walking Trail, Catches Hiker By Surprise
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Pixabay via Royal College of Surgeons.
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