Listen to the Podcast

BrainStuff

Get inside the brain of the mastermind of HowStuffWorks.

Parasites – gross but sometimes handy

by Marshall Brain

The idea of things like fleas, ticks, bedbugs, mosquitoes, etc. sucking our blood is unpleasant at best. But sometimes a bloodsucker is exactly what is needed from a medical standpoint. After microsurgery on something like a finger, a bloodsucking leech can help improve blood flow and thereby speed healing:

Where do medical leeches come from? This video shows several different aspects of leech treatments in Russia, and shows how they raise them there:

Blood suckers in Russia

Maggots can also be used medicinally. They are able to find and eat dead tissue in a wound and leave the healthy tissue in place:

For more info on wound-healing see: How does a cut on your skin heal itself?

If you would like to buy leeches, you can find them at a place like this:

Buy Medical Leeches

 

Comments

One Response to “Parasites – gross but sometimes handy”

Carl Zimmer says:

Correction: they are medicinal leeches, not medical. For more, see: http://bdellanea.blogspot.com/2009/07/marshal-brain-howstuffdoesntworks.html

Leave a Reply