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Leeches have long been used as a remedy for a variety of diseases. There is an incorrect hypothesis that the main task of a leech is to remove spoiled blood from the patient’s body. Their saliva has medicinal properties. With her, leeches launch into the body a large number of various enzymes that she herself needs to digest blood.
The main therapeutic effect of the procedure
The therapeutic mechanisms of hirudotherapy (bdellotherapy) include: hemostatic and reflexogenic action; removal of excess fluid from the body, which is especially important for hypertension and aseptic inflammation of the local type; improvement of nutrition and, accordingly, the work of individual organs to which leeches are attached; anticoagulant action (prevents excessive blood clotting); thrombolytic effect (dissolves existing blood clots, and this happens by the method of recanalization – the clot becomes like a sieve, which makes it impossible to tear off the pieces and its further migration through the vascular bed); elimination of microcirculatory disorders; anti-ischemic and antihypoxic action; restoration of normal nutrition of the organ (this is especially important for people with impaired cerebral circulation, post-stroke patients, patients with angina pectoris, after myocardial infarction and diabetic angiopathy); hypotensive effect – lowers blood pressure; immunostimulating, bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, local anti-edematous and anti-atherosclerotic action; resorption of keloid scars.
With the help of leeches, you can restore the balance of the endocrine system, as they restore the relationship between various organs, as well as open energy chakras and enhance tissue regeneration (rejuvenation).
Contraindications to treatment with leeches
Leeches can treat a variety of diseases, but contraindications should be remembered – these are hemophilia and other congenital coagulopathy.
For hirudotherapy, only certified disposable leeches are used, which are disposed of after the procedure. This fact guarantees maximum safety in treatment. The main advantage of hirudotherapy is the sterility of leeches, which eliminates the possibility of infection.
The staging of leeches is carried out according to a special program, one of the aspects of which is the fact that it occurs only in biologically active points. The procedure makes it possible to achieve a quick effect using fewer leeches per session. For the patient, this gives more benefit for less money than when placing leeches in all areas.
Indications for hirudotherapy
Hirudotherapy is effective in the treatment of the following diseases:
- in cardiology – vascular disease, poor circulation, myocardial infarction, hypertensive crisis, hypertension, coronary disease;
- arteries and veins of the lower extremities – trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, venous and arterial thrombosis, varicose veins;
- in neurology – atherosclerosis and thromboembolism of cerebral vessels, cerebrovascular accident, pre-stroke, stroke and post-stroke state, vegetative-vascular dystonia, concussion of the brain;
- in gynecology – a variety of inflammatory processes of the ovaries, toxicosis during pregnancy, menopause both in the initial and in the deep state, restoration of the menstrual cycle, painful menstruation, uterine bleeding, adhesive-type processes, infertility, mastitis, myoma, fibromyoma, endometriosis, perimetritis , parametritis, purulent-septic complications in the postpartum period;
- in gastroenterology – frequent constipation, acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, biliary dyskinesia, cholelithiasis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, acute colitis;
- respiratory organs – bronchial asthma, bronchitis;
- in urology – prostate adenoma, kidney disease, prostatitis, impotence;
- in endocrinology – diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, goiter, thyrotoxicosis, myxedema;
- in proctology – hemorrhoids, rectal fissures, fistulas;
- eye – glaucoma, keratitis, inflammation of the vessels of the eye;
- in traumatology – fractures, blows, hematomas, edema;
- in surgery – complications of postoperative sutures, scars and infiltrates, suppuration and flabby wound healing;
- in cosmetology – wrinkles, poor complexion;
- with allergic diseases – hay fever, skin, contagious dermatitis, food allergies.
Preparing for the procedure
It is not necessary to undergo special preparation before the procedure, it is only recommended: to refuse water procedures on the day of hirudotherapy; do not use any creams, colognes, cosmetics on the day of the procedure; stop smoking four hours before the session; the last day do not drink alcohol, spicy food.
Before the procedure, the hirudotherapist must provide the following package of documents: a medical insurance policy (if any), a referral from the attending physician, a passport.
Algorithm for hirudotherapy
You must come to the hirudotherapist’s office ten minutes before the scheduled procedure (fill out all the necessary documents). The patient should be completely calm and relaxed. If there are any problems with self-control, the doctor may suggest taking sedatives. The patient is warned about the presence of painful and uncomfortable sensations at the beginning of hirudotherapy.
The patient is comfortably placed on the couch. the area to which the leech will be attached is treated with slightly warmed soapy water (odorless soap is used). If the leech does not stick to the skin, it is removed and another one is used.
Usually six leeches are used, rarely, twelve individuals are planted at the same time. The duration of one session is approximately one hour. After removing the leeches, bleeding of different levels of intensity forms at the site of the bite. The doctor applies an antibacterial pressure bandage to each wound.
The weight of one leech is two grams, and it can absorb blood seven times its weight. Before the procedure, leeches are kept on a starvation diet for 4 to 5 months in order for them to become hungry and aggressive.
Disadvantages of hirudotherapy
This type of treatment must be treated with extreme caution, since there are a number of complications after the procedure: trophic ulcers; age spots at the site of bites; prolonged pain; profuse bleeding; allergic manifestations; inflammation of a purulent type with the formation of an abscess and phlegmon.
It should be noted that among phlebologists and surgeons there is no unequivocal opinion regarding the advisability of using hirudotherapy in the treatment of diseases. Each person has an individual organism, and how he will respond to treatment with leeches is not truly known.
It is important to know that medicinal leeches are used once and have accompanying documents: a veterinary certificate and a quality certificate.