Drinking stream water, urgently hospitalized because leech got into nose

(Baonghean.vn) - Doctors from the Ear - Nose - Throat Department of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital have successfully removed a leech from a child's nose, causing persistent nosebleeds.

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A leech was removed from the nose of patient Thai Ba Doan. Photo: Thuy Hien

The patient's name is Thai Ba Doan (13 years old) in hamlet 6, Quang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. The patient's family said that 5 days before, Doan went to herd cows in the forest and washed his face and drank water from a stream. After that, he had symptoms of itchy nose and persistent nosebleed. When admitted to the hospital, the doctors diagnosed a foreign object in his nose. After removing it, the patient became alert, the bleeding stopped, he could breathe easier and was discharged the same day.

Doctor CKII Doan Nhan Chinh - treating doctor of ENT department recommends: The phenomenon of leeches getting into and staying in the nose is often encountered with people living in remote areas who have the habit of washing their face and drinking spring water.

Leeches are living creatures with very strong suction cups, often wriggling and causing prolonged bleeding. Leeches can move from the nose down to the larynx, causing laryngospasm, and even down to the bronchi...

To avoid leeches, when going to the forest or farming, people should not wash their faces or drink water from streams, rivers, or lakes. If there are signs of difficulty breathing or nosebleeds suspected to be caused by leeches, they must go to medical facilities early for examination and treatment./.

Thuy Hien