Today, along with the latest drugs and technologies of modern medicine, proven treatment methods that have been known to man for many centuries do not lose their relevance. These include leeches. The benefits and harms of such treatment cause a lot of discussion. We will understand how leeches affect the human body.
Medical leech
Leeches are blood-sucking ectoparasites that belong to the class of annelid worms.
There are about 500 of their varieties found in ponds in the wild. They can not be treated. Doctors use special medical leeches, the benefits and harms of which are controlled when grown in laboratories. They come in only two types: medicinal and pharmacy.
At the medical leech on the front suction cup there is an oral cavity with three jaws, each of which has a hundred chitinous teeth. This worm has five pairs of eyes, excellent hearing and smell. Thanks to this, the leech itself finds a place on the human skin with biologically active points.
The principle of treatment with leeches
Despite the fact that leeches are located on the skin of a person, they affect
deep tissue. The hyaluronidase produced by them has the property of increasing the permeability and sensitivity of tissues. By digging through the skin and sucking up blood, the worm gives back
biologically active substances, among which hirudin is especially valued. It helps cleanse blood vessels.
For one session of hirudotherapy, usually not more than 7 leeches are used. Each of them sucks out about 15 ml of blood. Use a leech only once. After the procedure, it is destroyed in acid. This eliminates the possibility of infection of the patient.
Wounds left by leeches can bleed during the day after the session. This is considered normal, so you should not be scared. However, if bleeding does not stop after 24 hours, you should consult a doctor.
Hirudotherapy: benefit or harm
Hirudotherapy - the treatment of diseases with the help of medical leeches - is quite popular today. Usually, patients before the session try to find out what the benefits and harms of a leech can be. Reviews about this treatment are often positive.
The effectiveness of hirudotherapy lies in the fact that the beneficial substances that the worm secrets go directly to the focus of the disease. They have a resolving effect on scars and stagnant formations in the tissues, help to reduce benign tumors and nodes. To improve metabolism and rejuvenate the body will help treatment with leeches. The benefits and harms of this technique are usually noticeable after the first session.
The secret produced by leeches is able to break down fats and remove cholesterol. Thanks to this, hirudotherapy is used for weight loss, getting rid of cellulite and atherosclerosis.
The effectiveness of hirudotherapy
Will treating with leeches help me? What benefit (harm) is possible after a session? These questions are asked by many people. Hirudotherapy is very effective due to several types of effects on the human body. The reflex action is to bite through the worm skin in the right places. This effect is similar to acupuncture.
The mechanical effect is expressed in bloodletting, leading to the release of blood vessels. More oxygen and nutrients enter the bloodstream. Due to this, the pressure normalizes and pain disappears in the area of the focus of the disease.
The biological effect is the penetration into the blood of a leech saliva, which contains many useful substances of natural origin. They have a healing effect and improve the body.
When hirudotherapy is prescribed
Typically, hirudotherapy is prescribed to patients with hypertension, angina pectoris, various forms of dystonia, trophic ulcers, atherosclerosis, as well as with varicose veins. The scope of medical leeches is quite large. They are resorted to for the treatment of the following diseases:
- Diabetes mellitus, gout, obesity and other diseases that are associated with improper metabolism.
- Musculoskeletal problems: osteochondrosis, hernias, myositis and arthrosis.
- Kidney disease.
- Skin diseases such as acne, psoriasis and furunculosis.
- Neurological diseases: migraine, sciatica, epilepsy, neurosis, and also sleep disturbance.
- Eye diseases : keratitis and glaucoma.
- Gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis.
- Thyroid disease.
- Fractures, hematomas and postoperative adhesions.
- Genital inflammation, prostatitis, ovarian dysfunction and menstrual irregularities.
This is not a complete list of ailments, leeches help to get rid of them. The benefits and harms of such treatment depend on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body, which can be determined by a qualified doctor. It is he who is able to prescribe an effective course of hirudotherapy.
Leech Spine Treatment
In the treatment of diseases of the spine, they often resort to hirudotherapy. Impact
Leeches help restore normal physiological processes that occur in the tissues around the spinal column. Hirudotherapy is prescribed for hernia of the spine as an addition to the main method of treatment. After surgery, leeches can prevent various complications. They accelerate the healing of scars and reduce the possibility of the formation of a new hernia.
Leeches are an effective tool in the treatment of osteochondrosis. They help improve blood circulation in the tissues. Thanks to them, the muscles relax and the pain decreases. The secret of leeches that enters the bloodstream restores damaged intervertebral discs. After several sessions, edema passes, which is often accompanied by osteochondrosis.
Contraindications
Hirudotherapy has contraindications. Not all patients can be treated with a leech. The benefits and harms of such medical procedures depend on the patient’s health status. It is forbidden to use this method for people with low blood pressure, poor blood coagulation, as well as those who have suffered a stroke. Contraindications are allergic reactions, the presence of malignant tumors, the period of pregnancy and lactation.
When taking anticoagulants - drugs that help reduce blood coagulation, treatment with leeches is not recommended.
Is leech treatment dangerous?
Many patients often ask: is there any harm from leeches? As well as
contraindications hirudotherapy in some cases can cause complications in the form of infection introduced through the wound. However, according to doctors, the likelihood of such consequences of treatment with leeches is very small.
To avoid complications, it is required to observe the necessary precautions during and after the session. It is best to conduct a session in a specialized clinic, where a qualified doctor will conduct the necessary tests and make an individual course of treatment.
Thus, hirudotherapy can be used both in the complex treatment of diseases, and as an independent tool. It eliminates many ailments and heals the body.