What harm does centipede do to human body

When it comes to centipedes, many people know that they are small animals with a lot of legs and very obvious physical signs. Some health clubs even soak centipedes in wine and sell them, which is said to have high medicinal value. However, it is well known that centipedes are poisonous. If you are bitten by some small centipedes, the wound will become red, swollen and painful. If you are bitten by a large tropical centipede or a centipede from the Yangtze River basin, the pain and symptoms will be more obvious. This article introduces the harm that centipedes can do to the body. Let’s take a look.

1. Centipede venom composition

Centipede contains two toxic components similar to bee venom.

That is, histamine-like substances and hemolytic proteins; it also contains fatty oils, cholesterol, formic acid, etc. δ-Hydroxylysine has also been isolated; the amino acids include histidine, arginine, ornithine, lysine, glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, serine, taurine, and glutamate.

2. Clinical manifestations of centipede bites

The bite of a small centipede will only cause local redness, swelling and pain, while the bite of a large tropical centipede can cause lymphangitis and tissue necrosis, and sometimes purpura of the entire limb. Some may experience systemic symptoms such as headache, fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even slurred speech, convulsions, and coma.

If your hand is bitten by a red-headed, black-bodied, yellow-legged centipede from the Yangtze River Basin, you will quickly feel severe pain at the bite site, usually in the elbow joint within 2 hours, in the armpit within 3 hours, and in the chest within 4 to 5 hours. But don't worry, it usually won't be fatal. After 4 days the symptoms gradually disappeared.

3. Emergency treatment of centipede bites

After being bitten by a centipede, wash the wound immediately with soapy water, apply cold wet compresses to the wound locally, or apply mashed Houttuynia cordata or dandelion externally. If you have systemic symptoms, go to the hospital immediately. Tie a cloth band 2 to 3 cm above the upper end of the injured limb, and relax it for 1 to 2 minutes every 15 minutes. Apply ice compresses around the wound, cut the skin of the injured area, suck out the venom with a suction device or cupping, and use potassium permanganate solution or lime water to rinse the wound. Those with severe symptoms should go to the hospital for treatment.