“I started getting nosebleeds, constant nosebleeds,” says Florida man with 150 live bugs in his nose
Jacksonville surgeons removed 150 live larvae from the nose and sinuses of a Florida cancer survivor early last month.
The man, whose identity is unknown, had been feeling “unwell” since October, but did not go to HCA Florida Memorial Hospital for help until his face and lips began to swell on February 9, according to First Coast News.
“I started having nosebleeds, constant nosebleeds,” the man said. First Coast News.
“I couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom without my nose starting to bleed,” he added.
“When I went to get the exam, the doctor said, 'I see movement,'” the man recalled.
When Dr. David Carlson used a camera to check the man's nose, he discovered that dozens of insects were feeding on the inside of the sinus cavity and nose, shedding tissue and droppings, which is what was causing the man's swelling.
“As for size, there are variations, but the largest ones were as big as the tip of my pinky,” Carlson said of the disgusting pests.
“There were certain larvae inside the nose that were running around looking for places to feed and others that had buried themselves in the tissue.”
According to Carlson, his team first tried to remove the bugs using suction, but when it became clogged, they had to use other tools to remove them. Carlson added: “And those little bastards didn't want to get evicted.”
The graphic film of the operating room, showing the hideous insects crawling across the man's face and his convulsive evacuation, was provided by First Coast News.
“They were right against the base of his skull, right under the brain, if they had gone through it, they could have killed him,” Carlson explained.
An epidemiologist received the bugs to identify them.
After handling dead fish, the man assumed that the parasites orchestrated their invasion.
“I know I have to change my lifestyle when it comes to handling fish,” he said. First Coast News.
“Before I rinsed my hands in the river, now I will use cleanser to do a better job and not touch my nose or hand,” he said.
