Gynecological diseases are not uncommon today. Most of them cause significant harm to the reproductive health of women, often cause miscarriage. Medicines and surgical treatment for a short time relieve the condition, accompanied by side effects. One of the safe and at the same time effective ways to eliminate female diseases is considered to be treatment with leeches.
The role of hirudotherapy in gynecology
Healers have known about hirudotherapy since ancient times. Hippocrates wrote about this method of therapy. No less famous doctor Avicenna determined the benefits of a bite of leeches for the body.
Hirudotherapy in gynecology has been used since the 16th century. According to other information, Cleopatra herself used leech bites to treat infertility. With the help of these living beings, she managed to give birth to an heir.
This treatment method is based on the therapeutic effect of hirudin on the body. This substance is found in the salivary glands of leeches. Through a bite, it penetrates the body. Over 200 active ingredients begin their interaction with lymph and blood. As a result, metabolic processes normalize, wounds heal, and blood liquefies. Representatives of the fair sex restore hormonal levels, improve appetite and sleep. In many ways, hirudotherapy is similar to acupuncture, because the treatment process consists of exposure to reflex points.
Leech bite action
With a bite of a leech, a certain amount of saliva enters the woman's body. It incorporates biologically active substances. Specialists distinguish 3 therapeutic factors affecting the body:
- Biological. Due to the content in the leech saliva of a large number of active substances after a bite, all of them are carried throughout the body. The achieved effect resembles a course of vitamin therapy. As a result, the work of all systems and organs improves.
- Reflex. The points of the leeches are called acupuncture. During each procedure, there is an effect on the nerve elements, and through them indirectly on the organs affected by the disease.
- Mechanical. While cutting the skin, the leech sucks blood and lymph fluid. This leads to an increase in lymphocytes in the bloodstream. Thus, the immune system is activated.
The effect of leech saliva is good for the whole body. Therefore, hirudotherapy in gynecology is used to treat a large number of diseases.
Indications for the procedure
The list of gynecological ailments for the treatment of which leech secretion is used is quite extensive. Among them are:
- infertility;
- adnexitis;
- erosive processes;
- fibroids and fibroids;
- polycystic;
- adhesive processes;
- menopause neurosis ;
- pelvic inflammation;
- menstrual irregularities.
Use in the treatment of leeches allows you to stop swelling, eliminate pain and improve blood flow after the first procedure.
Possible contraindications
The benefits of hirudotherapy in gynecology are confirmed by numerous studies and real reviews of patients. However, this method of treatment has its contraindications. When is it better to refuse leech therapy?
- The presence of malignant neoplasms in the body.
- The development of acute infection, accompanied by fever.
- Period of pregnancy.
- Identification of ulcerative lesions of any localization.
- Allergy to enzymes and active substances containing in the saliva of a living organism.
The most dangerous diagnosis in which treatment with leeches is not recommended is “hemophilia”. Blood clotting even in the presence of the smallest wounds can lead to the development of complications.
Selection of exposure points
Many women are interested in where they take live material for hirudotherapy in gynecology. This question is quite natural, because pathology is in a rather intimate place. These animals live in stagnant water bodies. However, for medical purposes, specially grown individuals are used, and not caught in the nearest pond. They are kept on biological farms in compliance with the rules of bacteriological safety. Only sterile leeches enter medical clinics. They are absolutely safe for humans. Each unit can be used only 1 time, and then must be disposed of.
Depending on the woman’s disease and state of health, about 7 leeches are immediately installed on her body. This is what distinguishes hirudotherapy in gynecology. Staging points can be localized both on the skin in the lower abdomen or labia, and in the vagina itself.
Preparatory stage
The procedure does not require specific preparation. You must first consult with a hematologist and take a blood test. After studying the patient’s medical history and complaints, the doctor selects a treatment regimen and how many procedures are needed.
Hirudotherapy in gynecology has been used for a long time. However, until now, the fair sex is afraid of the procedure itself, despite its proven effectiveness. Specialists recommend women to try to overcome the psychological fear of a leech bite. Such natural healers should be treated calmly, but with respect. A small creature helps to overcome serious ailments, and then dies. All leeches must be disposed of after the procedure. They are sensitive to odors. Therefore, on the day of treatment, it is better to abandon the use of perfume, body gels and deodorants.
For a successful suction, you need to try to relax and not think about pain discomfort. A leech bite is not stronger than a mosquito, and biological substances from its saliva act as an anesthetic. There may be a slight tingling sensation.
Features of the procedure
Hirudotherapy in gynecology is used to treat many diseases. Therapeutic sessions are of the same type, only the points of the leech attachment differ. For example, in infertility they are placed in the pubic region and lower abdominal area. In the case of adhesions, live healers are placed in the groin and around the anus.
Before placing the leech, a specialist moistens the intended point of exposure with water. Then he puts the animal, which after biting the skin begins to suck blood intensively. Simultaneously with this process, saliva is injected into the lesion site, which has a therapeutic effect.
The session itself can last up to 1.5 hours. After the procedure, leeches are removed. The wounds formed from a bite are very small, but can bleed. Therefore, this area is sometimes cauterized with iodine. If the area of the vagina or labia has been selected as the suction point, it is recommended to use sanitary pads within a few hours after the session.
Benefit and harm
The question of the benefits and harms of hirudotherapy in gynecology concerns many doctors so far. Despite the high effectiveness of the treatment, sometimes it is accompanied by negative consequences.
Among the advantages of the procedure, experts note:
- noticeable acceleration of the healing process;
- reduction of painful discomfort that accompanies many pathologies;
- normalization of blood coagulation;
- body cleansing;
- restoration of blood circulation.
Sometimes hirudotherapy allows you to refuse treatment with hormonal drugs, the use of which is often accompanied by side effects.
However, it should be understood that the uncontrolled use of leeches can lead to undesirable consequences. This is a big blood loss, a sharp decrease in blood pressure and allergies. Therefore, the treatment regimen and its duration should be selected by the doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.
Cost of treatment
According to doctors, hirudotherapy in gynecology is considered a relatively inexpensive procedure. The price of one leech can vary from 200 to 400 rubles. Given the use of about five individuals per session, the entire procedure will have to pay no more than 2 thousand rubles.
Reviews of doctors
Violation of the hormonal status and diseases of the pelvic organs are common problems today. Many factors lead to them: poor ecology, frequent stresses, weakened immunity, malnutrition. Struggling with such violations, they resort to the help of hirudotherapy in gynecology.
Doctors note that after the first session, painful discomfort in the lower abdomen disappears, and hormonal status is normalized. After completing the full course of treatment, a woman can try on the long-awaited role of the mother. Her adhesions resolve, inflammation of the appendages disappears. And during menstruation and menopause passes without serious complications.
Leech therapy has a positive healing effect on the entire body. Not only a specific ailment is stopped. Many patients note an improvement in psychological mood, sleep, and even appetite.
Negative reviews of hirudotherapy in gynecology also occur. Most of them are related to the lack of qualified specialists in this field. For example, only every 15 clinics in a large city can offer such a treatment technique. In small settlements, this service is not necessary. In addition, there is a lack of experienced personnel. Only a qualified specialist who has the appropriate certificate can conduct hirudotherapy sessions.
Some ladies complain about the need for additional care after a course of treatment. The thing is that a leech at the suction site sometimes leaves a small wound. It can bleed, so it requires appropriate care. It is recommended to treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide, and apply an iodine grid to the hematoma itself.