A woman tells of her fall on the most painful plant in the world
He gympie gympie (Dendrocnide moroides) is not just one poisonous plant. It is considered the most painful plant in the world. And it is not for less, it is said that there are even those who committed suicide in order not to endure the pain of coming into contact with her. For this reason, the story of an Australian woman who fell squarely on the plant is horrifying.
About Naomi Lewis (42) and told his story in an interview for the Australian medium ABC News. Actually, it wasn’t an oversight, she knew the effects of this poisonous plant. However, she was riding a mountain bike when he accidentally fell on her.
The whole plant is poisonous, but mainly its stem. As soon as she fell on top of it, he noticed that structures similar to gympie gympie hair had attached themselves to his legs. Her husband immediately called an ambulance, and when it arrived, he ran to a pharmacy to buy washing strips. With them he tried to remove the hair, as this is the recommended measure in these cases. However, he couldn’t remove them all, so the pain continued. So much so that nine months later he occasionally snaps back to Naomi’s legs.
Much more than a poisonous plant
As soon as she came into contact with this poisonous plant, Naomi says that the pain began to increase until she vomited. In the hospital they couldn’t do much as there is no antidote as such.
They simply put heating blankets on him and treated the pain with painkillers. She was in the hospital for a week, after which, when the pain subsided, she was discharged, but still on these prescribed drugs.
In the interview, the Australian tells that he has four children. One was born by vaginal delivery and the other three by caesarean section. However, he had not known a pain like the one he felt when he fell on this poisonous plant.
N. Teerink (Wikimedia Commons) Why so much pain?
The hairs of the gympie gympie have a ball at their end which consists of silica, calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. It acts like a needle that puts a neurotoxin into the skin, which is responsible for that intense pain. Those who have come into contact with it describe the sensation of being burned and electrified almost simultaneously.
It should be noted that, although it is considered the most painful plant in the world, this poisonous plant does not cause death. That is why, not considered the most dangerous. Of course there were people who committed suicide to avoid having to endure the pain. In fact, it is also known as the suicide stitch for obvious reasons. Fortunately, this was not the case for Naomi. Although she is still paying the consequences of her fall on her bike, her pain returns only sporadically and is not as intense as the one she felt that day.
That’s a consolation, although I’m sure the next time you go out on a bike you’ll be much more mindful of the surrounding vegetation. After going through this bad, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
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