How leeches help. Treatment of gynecological diseases with leeches

Leeches and their treatment have both their fierce opponents and passionate admirers. Before deciding to become a vampire, almost all people experience fear and doubt. But once they try treatment with leeches, many patients become attached to them, like their favorite pets. But others need a logical understanding of why leeches are useful.

Alexandra Novocidou, a hirudotherapist and member of the International Association of Hirudotherapists, talks about the dangers and benefits of leeches (Hirudo Medicinalis).

So, hirudotherapy: benefits and harms

I am a passionate fan of leeches and highly recommend hirudotherapy. But hirudotherapy should be carried out by a professional - a doctor or a certified physiotherapist, this is the only way we can talk about unconditional benefit from treatment with leeches, but in the hands of a charlatan they can cause harm. Fortunately, harm from leeches is extremely rare! But it happens...

Speaking about the harm, we must clearly distinguish between the complications of hirudotherapy associated with the improper use of leeches (it’s like “make a fool pray to God, and he’ll hurt his forehead”) and unwanted reactions organism in response to treatment, which could hardly have been prevented.

Bleeding

A hirudotherapy session can be complicated by blood loss if carried out without taking into account contraindications. Bleeding can occur both from the bite site and from internal organs.

Most often it happens stomach bleeding, especially when analgesics and leeches are used together. Or the patient is being treated with anticoagulants and decides to use leeches at the same time. Death is like putting a leech on a patient receiving or Pradaxa.

Uterine bleeding can occur if a leech is inserted during menstruation.

There is quite a lot of blood loss from the site of the bite if the leech has attached itself directly to a large vessel.

Leech as a foreign body

A rare complication is the crawling of a leech into a body cavity. Leeches are very nimble creatures, and if you place them in the mouth on the gum, nose, or vagina, without special tools and skills, then there is always a risk of such a complication. The literature describes a case of an individual crawling into the larynx with fatal, however, the leech was from a pond.

Hirudo M. as a source of infection

Transmission of hepatitis, HIV and other blood-borne infections by leeches is not excluded.

Potentially, such a danger is likely, although studies have stated that the leech has the ability to self-cleanse, even if it has sucked on infected blood, then by the time it is ready to feed again (and this is after about 6 months), there is no longer any in its saliva hepatitis viruses or HIV. Prevention - use only factory certified Hirudo M., never reuse the leech and work with rubber gloves.

Complications of hirudotherapy associated with an unexpected reaction of the body are rare, but they do occur. They also happen in the practice of doctors.

Allergic reactions

Slight redness of the skin and local itching are a common reaction when H. medicinalis is diagnosed and special treatment not required. But a severe allergic reaction is possible and may require hospitalization. In particular, in my practice there was a case of mast anaphylaxis - the Arthus phenomenon on the attachment of 2 leeches in the lower leg area. A few hours after the attachment, the patient’s temperature rose to 40*C, and extensive swelling with necrosis in the center developed at the site of the bite. It was a repeat attachment.

Septic complications have been described during hirudotherapy in weakened patients. A healthy medicinal leech has a microorganism in its stomach and oral cavity - Aeromonas Hidrophilia, which is its normal and obligatory symbiont. So, in some people with poor immunity, this harmless microbe can cause pneumonia and even sepsis. Treatment of such serious complications carried out in a hospital.

Small scars at the site of the bite, spots of hyperpigmentation cannot be called harmful to the body, but the patient should be informed about this possible reaction skin, especially with hirudotherapy in cosmetology. Read

Actually, any leech harm can be avoided if you do not neglect the usual medical rules: it is necessary to carefully collect anamnesis from the patient, observe sanitary standards and then these little bloodsuckers will only be useful

The benefits of little vampires

Their benefits lie in their multilateral effects on the body. One worm – a whole factory of medicines! The saliva of Hirudo medicinalis contains substances that have an immunostimulating effect, antibacterial, blood thinning, and anesthetic. Regardless of what we treat, be it phlebitis or migraine, the benefits will be not only at the local level, but also for the body as a whole.

The article about capillaries describes in detail that disruption of blood microcirculation underlies almost all serious illnesses internal organs, and hirudin (a substance from the saliva of Hirudo medicinalis) dissolves microthrombi and improves blood circulation throughout the body, and not just at the site of the bite.

Despite advances in medicine and pharmacology, there is no better remedy than leeches for the treatment of swelling and inflammation in microsurgery for finger amputations; these are thousands of preserved limbs!

The microbe Aeromonos Hydrophillia, (the normal symbiont of Hirudo M.), which I mentioned above, provides great benefits to our immune system, it stimulates the immune system and acts as a vaccine.

The great benefit of leeches lies in their neurohormonal action. These little vampires improve your mood. The level of serotonin, the hormone of joy, increases in the blood, and we “fly on wings” during the course of treatment. Yes, yes, this is exactly how patients describe how they feel!

The neurohormonal effect is also associated with a neuroendocrine effect on the body. A powerful hormonal change occurs, a person becomes younger before our eyes. In women, the onset of menopause can be delayed, many note an increase in orgasm, and infertility is often cured.

What else is a leech useful for? It relieves pain and has an anti-inflammatory effect. For my own treatment, I have not used antibiotics for a long time; my expensive leeches are enough!

Dear readers, today we will continue our conversation with you about treatment with leeches, or as it is scientifically called - hirudotherapy. I already told you about it, we learned the features this method natural therapy, indications and contraindications, what you need to pay attention to if you are going to such a session.

Today we will talk in more detail about how the treatment session itself takes place and also about what diseases can be treated with the help of medicinal leeches. Perhaps such a treatment sounds scary (the very word “leech” scares off many), but I think it deserves our attention, as alternative treatment without medications for many diseases.

Medical leech. Composition of saliva

Let's first talk about what the saliva of a medical leech is. She is very rich chemical composition, thanks to which diversified therapeutic effect on the human body. But, unfortunately, it has not yet been sufficiently studied. Although this process began in late XIX centuries, for this moment 20 biological components in its composition have been thoroughly described and this is far from the limit! There are more than 100 microelements in leech saliva. Let's consider some of them:

• Hirudin thins the blood, improves blood circulation, dissolves existing blood clots and prevents formation, has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
• Apyrase removes substances from the blood that contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
• Destabilase(a complex of substances) dissolves existing blood clots and prevents the formation of new ones.
• Hyaluronidase promotes the resorption of adhesions and scars.
• Eglins(group of substances) reduce inflammation and tissue damage, have a therapeutic effect in rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lung diseases, etc.
• Bradykinins(group of substances) act anti-inflammatory.

Treatment with leeches. Hirudotherapy session. Benefits and harms

How does a hirudotherapy session take place? First of all, before the procedure, it is forbidden to take a bath or shower with scented soap, or use deodorant, because leeches are very sensitive to smell and may refuse to attach. The places where leeches will be planted are treated immediately before the session: if there is hair, it is shaved off and the skin is washed warm water with unscented soap and wipe with sterile cotton swabs.

The patient is positioned comfortably: he should feel relaxed and calm. An oilcloth and diaper are placed under the area where the leeches will be located, and the skin in the places where they are placed is moistened with a sterile glucose solution for better suction.

The leech is placed in a test tube with its tail down, applied to the point of influence and waited for it to attach. It is necessary to place a piece of waxed paper or cotton wool under the tail of the worm, since otherwise it may be sucked on by the second suction cup that is located there.

Animals are kept until they are completely saturated, sometimes for up to 60 minutes, and in some cases they are forcibly taken away: this depends on the method of treatment of each separate disease. Since leeches cannot tolerate strong odors, weaning is carried out by bringing a piece of cotton wool soaked in alcohol to the worm. When animals eat, they fall off on their own. They are taken with tweezers, placed in a container and filled with a hypertonic solution for destruction. Leeches are a one-time use product; they are not used a second time.

Bite wounds are covered with sterile cotton gauze bandage and secure. Blood may ooze from the wounds for up to a day - this is normal. If the bandage is soaked in blood, it is not removed, but a new one is fixed on top. After a day, the bandage is removed and, if the bleeding has stopped, the wounds are treated with a disinfectant solution, for example, iodine, and covered with a new sterile bandage for another 1-2 days. It is very important not to introduce infection into the wounds.

If a day after the session the wounds continue to bleed, then the bleeding should be stopped by adding a couple of drops of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Then the bite sites are also covered with a sterile bandage.
Wounds should be carefully monitored to avoid infection. They usually heal within 2-3 days.

Treatment with leeches. Indications and contraindications

What does hirudotherapy treat? Hirudotherapy is effectively used to treat a number of diseases:

• cardiovascular,
• gynecological and urological,
• dermatological,
• metabolic disorders,
• thyroid gland,
• various diseases of the spine and joints,
• eye diseases,
• diseases of the nervous system,
• to improve immunity,
• normalization of the functioning of the entire body as a whole.

Treatment with leeches. Harm. Contraindications

I always talk about our wisdom. First of all, you need to find a competent doctor and discuss everything with him. He will ask you all the questions and give recommendations depending on the picture of diseases and health problems. It will tell you how many sessions you need to take.

Treatment with leeches has a number of contraindications. This:

• poor blood clotting,
• severe anemia (hemoglobin level below 100 g/l),
• presence in the recent past or ongoing bleeding, including internal chronic,
• cachexia,
• individual intolerance or allergy to treatment with leeches.

Let's watch the video footage. Here's what doctors say about leech treatment.

What might be the reaction after a hirudotherapy session?

Many people complain that after a certain number of hirudotherapy sessions they began to feel unwell, and the bite sites burned, itched, etc. and because of this they stop treatment. Good doctor obliged to warn about the very likely reaction of the body. This effect is called a prefix reaction and occurs 12-14 hours after the 3rd procedure and may include:

• swelling,
• increased temperature in areas of leech bites,
• local temperature rise,
• enlargement of nearby lymph nodes,
• increase in body temperature,
• myalgia,
• deterioration in general health.

Such a reaction in mild form observed in 85% of patients, and the hirudotherapist should give recommendations to alleviate its course. Many consider this reaction to be allergic and stop treatment, but in fact this is not so: this is how the activation process manifests itself immune system, an exacerbation of some of the patient’s existing diseases may also occur. I will say again that this is normal: only 9% of patients do not experience any discomfort!

Hirudotherapy for the heart and blood vessels

As already mentioned, the composition of leech saliva primarily affects the blood and blood vessels, and, consequently, the heart. Hirudotherapy is used to treat the following cardiovascular diseases:

• haemorrhoids,
• atherosclerosis,
• thrombophlebitis,
• ischemic stroke,
• hypertension,
• lymphostasis,
• phlebeurysm,
• vascular thrombosis.

In addition to medicinal purposes, leeches are used as prophylactic, as they cleanse and restore circulatory system, remove waste and toxins from the body, improve metabolism. The number of leeches and the location of their placement are determined by the doctor based on tests and depending on the disease.

Treatment of varicose veins with leeches

For example, with varicose veins it is very important to start treatment at a later stage. early stages diseases. The session is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor. Leeches are placed in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 2-10 cm from the diseased vein, but in no case on the vein itself or venous nodes. As a result, inflammation, itching, heaviness, burning, cramps go away, the blood thins, its microcirculation improves, blood clots dissolve, and the walls of blood vessels are strengthened.

Hirudotherapy in gynecology. Hirudotherapy for infertility

Hirudotherapy is widely used in gynecology, including for the treatment of infertility. It should be understood that if a woman does not have ovaries, uterus or other organs, then leeches naturally will not be able to help her. If the cause of infertility is diseases such as endometriosis, adhesions in the tubes and uterus, inflammatory processes, fibroids, disorders hormonal balance, then the chance of becoming a mother increases many times over.

Thanks to substances in saliva, leeches disappear congestion, inflammation goes away, tubal patency, nutrition of the pelvic organs, blood circulation improves, the amount of hormones normalizes, and the immune system is strengthened. All this contributes to recovery reproductive system woman and prepares her body for conception and successful bearing of a child.

Leech treatment of joints and spine. Hirudotherapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Currently, more than 90% of the working population suffers from diseases of the spine, and if we also include diseases of the joints, the picture appears completely depressing. Hirudotherapy has been successfully used to treat the following diseases this group:

• arthritis,
• arthrosis,
• radiculitis,
• back pain,
• spinal hernia,
• osteochondrosis,
• joint deformation due to gout.

Most people do not even suspect that many diseases in the human body arise due to problems with the spine. Thanks to treatment with leeches, blood circulation improves, congestion disappears, waste and toxins are removed, oxygen and nutrients begin to flow to damaged tissues, which helps their recovery, swelling of nearby areas decreases, and unblocking occurs. nerve endings. When passing complete treatment Damaged intervertebral discs are often restored.

Leeches can be of great help in the presence of osteochondrosis cervical spine spine, which is the most painful. After treatment, in addition to the above, people get rid of spasms, a feeling of constriction, lethargy, constant headaches, and insomnia.

Here is the information about leech treatment for today. And for the sake of our souls, we will listen Mon Ange celeste Je t'aime I invite you to plunge into the wonderful world of dreams.

I wish you all health and beauty, warmth and comfort in your families. Use the simplest and most accessible recipes for your health. And, of course, don’t forget about positive thoughts.

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Despite scientific achievements modern medicine, alternative ways therapy do not lose their relevance and are becoming increasingly popular among patients.

Leech treatment is widely used for therapy various ailments, But has mixed reviews, both among patients and doctors.

Features of treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy)

Literally a couple of hundred years ago, most diseases associated with blood stagnation were treated with leeches, which was considered the only way to alleviate the condition of patients with vascular or neurological pathologies.

Today, hirudotherapy, due to the simplicity and accessibility of the procedure, is becoming quite popular among patients trying to find treatment methods that can speed up the healing process and eliminate side effects drug therapy.

For medical procedures they are used healing worms, which are grown on specialized farms providing sterile conditions. Apply in medicinal purposes Common leeches that live in neighboring lakes are strictly prohibited. Treatment with such leeches can harm a person. Because nonspecific worms are carriers of infection, which may enter the patient’s blood during the procedure.

A medicinal leech needs blood to feed itself. Once on human skin, the healing worm, which has more than one row of small chitinous teeth, pierces the skin and begins to become saturated with the patient’s blood.

What does this give the patient? unusual way treatment?

The secret of the beneficial properties of treatment with leeches lies in the content of the main thing in their saliva active substance – hirudin. Patients' condition is improving due to the combination of enzymes in leech saliva with blood, which is expressed:

Blood thinning;

Increased blood flow;

Withdrawal inflammatory reactions;

Effect on clots and blood clots;

Obstruction of blood clotting.

Treatment with leeches: what are the benefits for the body?

Treatment with leeches is a rather controversial technique, with ambiguous and radically different reviews and opinions. Proponents of leech treatment argue for the beneficial properties of leech enzymes, which, when entering the body, have a healing effect. In the saliva of leeches there are actually more than 150 types of different enzymes and useful substances.

Thanks to these beneficial properties leeches are used in the treatment of:

Diabetes mellitus, gout, obesity, and other pathologies associated with metabolic disorders;

Fractures, hematomas, postoperative adhesions;

Ailments of the musculoskeletal system: osteochondrosis, hernias, myositis, arthrosis;

Thyroid diseases;

Vascular pathologies;

Kidney diseases;

Gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis;

Dermatological diseases: acne, psoriasis, furunculosis;

Eye diseases: keratitis, glaucoma;

Neurological pathologies: migraine, radiculitis, epilepsy, neuroses, insomnia;

Inflammation of the genital organs, prostatitis, ovarian dysfunction, menstrual irregularities.

Treatment with leeches is usually carried out in courses, but after the first procedures they are observed positive changes, manifested:

Reduced swelling;

Reducing pain;

Improvement appearance skin;

Stabilization of pressure indicators;

Improving motor abilities;

Reducing the feeling of fatigue.

The obvious benefits to the body from treatment with leeches are due to healing effects as:

Restoration of microcirculatory functions;

Increasing the body's immune capabilities;

Relaxation of muscle tissue;

Preventing the formation of blood clots;

Accelerating the transmission of neuromuscular impulses;

Analgesic, anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory and healing effects;

Blood thinners;

Pressure recovery;

Increased blood flow.

To achieve lasting results and obvious benefits for the body, you should not stop treatment with leeches after the first improvements. Only the hirudotherapist can correctly determine the duration of each session and the number of procedures required.

The benefits of treatment with leeches will only be subject to the technique of planting worms. Because the animal is unable to independently choose a suitable place. Hirudotherapists plant sucking doctors according to certain patterns, taking into account the location active points on the body, which allows you to achieve beneficial effects on the body.

Treatment with leeches: what are the possible harms to health?

Opponents of leech treatment argue that this type of therapy is harmful to the body, since it smoothes out symptoms without affecting the nature of the disease.

And the number of harmful consequences, according to conservative doctors, significantly exceeds the benefits of treatment with leeches.

Patients, hoping to be cured of serious illnesses, expose themselves to unnecessary risks. As a result of treatment with leeches, the following may be observed:

Heavy or unstoppable bleeding;

Various manifestations dermatitis;

Allergic reactions in the form of a rash;

Formation of ulcers and suppurations;

Pain, both during the procedure and after it;

Permanent spots at the site of a leech bite.

To avoid negative and harmful consequences treatment with leeches, Hirudotherapy sessions are contraindicated for patients:

Having personal intolerances or allergic reactions on the components of leech secretions;

With low blood pressure;

WITH low performance hemoglobin;

For blood diseases;

With thin sensitive skin;

For any damage to the skin;

Having malignant tumors.

If the patient has personal dislike of leeches or disgust towards this method of exposure, such treatment with leeches will clearly not bring any health benefits.

A dangerous consequence Unstoppable bleeding lasting more than a day is considered. If you encounter such a complication, you should immediately consult a doctor.

For pregnant and nursing mothers: is treatment with leeches beneficial or harmful?

Pregnancy is a contraindication for treatment with leeches. Since the effect of leeches on a woman’s body during pregnancy has practically not been studied, resort to this method of therapy undesirable.

There is an opinion that under the influence of hemorrhage and increased blood flow, placental rejection is possible, which leads to unwanted termination of pregnancy. Therefore, it is inappropriate to talk about any benefits for the pregnant woman’s body from treatment with leeches.

And here There are no special restrictions for nursing mothers. In addition to general healing and therapeutic procedures, hirudotherapists offer special methods of treatment with leeches for such women, which can even enhance lactation.

If does not exist special contraindications For women who are breastfeeding, treatment with leeches will not cause any harm.

Treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy) for children: beneficial or harmful?

The use of leeches is allowed for the treatment of children, starting from infancy. The difficulty of this type of therapy lies in the ambiguous reaction of children to the worms themselves and pain. However, by finding an experienced hirudotherapist who knows how to conduct sessions for children, you can help the child’s body cope with many problems.

If the doctor suggests that parents try to persuade and calm the baby on their own, there will be no benefit from such treatment with leeches. The baby should feel close emotional contact with both the parents and the doctor, which will relieve tension and fear of unusual manipulations.

Usually children calmly accept subsequent sessions; unusual worms even arouse interest. If the child clearly rejects treatment with leeches Don't forcefully torture a child's psyche. All the same, there will be no benefit from such treatment with leeches.

Most often, parents turn to a hirudotherapist for help when they detect children with cerebral palsy, PEP. Decrease intracranial pressure Problematic children sometimes succeed only by using leeches.

For older children, leeches are used to treat pathologies of the ENT organs, lungs, enuresis and nervous disorders.

IN adolescence with the help of leeches, problems of a vegetative-vascular and digestive nature are solved.

When properly carried out, leech treatment sessions are beneficial for child's body undeniable.

Is treatment with leeches for weight loss beneficial?

Oddly enough, medicinal leeches actually promote weight loss. Of course, they are not capable of breaking down, much less destroying, fat deposits. The benefits of leech treatment for weight loss are evident indirect impact.

Using hirudotherapy in patients with overweight, manages to achieve:

Normalization of metabolism;

Stabilization of hormonal levels;

Elimination of depressive and nervous conditions.

Taken together, these results of leech treatment bring tangible health benefits and promote weight loss.

To restore metabolic processes leeches are placed on the sacral area. To stabilize hormonal background, they are placed behind the ear. The procedures are repeated every other day. To get a lasting result, at least 10 procedures will be required.

Remember that leech treatment is a controversial therapy. If you don't want to harm your body, try to find an experienced hirudotherapist having documentation confirming his qualifications.

Treatment with leeches, or scientifically called hirudotherapy, was one of the most common methods of treatment in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the last century, due to the development of medicine, this type of treatment faded into the background.

But in Lately There are more and more specialists reviving this species Not traditional medicine. So is there any benefit from hirudotherapy?

This is very ancient look medicine. It is known for certain that pharaohs were treated with it Ancient Egypt. This medical product mentioned in ancient sources such as the Koran and the Bible. Such famous ancient physicians as Avicenna and Hippocrates did not disdain leeches.

The heyday of hirudotherapy at a later hour falls on the 17th-19th centuries. A patient could be prescribed a hundred or more leeches at a time. But gradually, hirudotherapy is being replaced by medicines and they forget about her.

Using suction cups, it is firmly attached to the victim’s body. Nature has made it so that a leech only needs to feed once every few months, after which it can live without blood. long time. She can “drink” up to 15 ml at a time. blood.



She can survive without blood for so long because her body has special anticoagulant substances. With their help, blood does not clot for a long time. It is for the presence of anticoagulants that we value these creatures.

In order for a leech to begin to saturate itself with blood to the maximum, it must be hungry. For treatment, individuals that have not been fed for more than four months are used.

Treatment zones

Hirudotherapy is a strict science. The leech cannot be placed just anywhere. Every disease has its place. The hirudotherapist selects an area for the leech, limiting its further movement. And within this area, she herself finds the right place.

Let's get acquainted with the basic rules for their use. For example, when treating thrombosis, it should never be placed on a vein; the leech is placed near the vessel.

For severe headaches or high blood pressure, they are attached to the mastoid process.

For hemorrhoids or prostatitis, they are attached in the tailbone area.

To alleviate radiculitis, they are attached in the lumbar region, near the spine.

To treat the liver, kidneys, and gall bladder, an area near these organs is selected.

Apart from veins, leeches are not applied to the eyes and genitals.

Features of treatment

Only one variety is used for treatment. These creatures are not caught in the wild, but are raised in special factories. The leech cannot be used more than once.

Before the session you should not use deodorants, perfumes or drink alcohol.

Duration of treatment

The doctor decides how many treatment sessions are required and how long the session should last.

The standard course of treatment consists of ten sessions, but in some cases 3–4 will be enough. After a few years, it is recommended to take the course again.

Some doctors see the benefits of treatment with leeches, some do not. It is believed that the leech bites through the skin certain places, thereby rejuvenating the body.

Leech saliva contains more than a hundred useful substances. In addition to anticoagulants, it contains substances that kill microbes, improve mood, affect sleep and appetite.



It is believed that, unlike drugs, hirudotherapy has a mild, gentle effect.

What diseases are treated with leeches?

The list is huge. This:

• skin diseases;
• diseases of the female organs;
• diseases of the kidneys, liver, gall bladder;
• male infertility;
• haemorrhoids;
• thrombosis;
• cellulite, obesity;
• they are also used for anti-aging procedures;
• ENT diseases;
• some eye diseases;
• radiculitis;
• arthritis;
• gout.

Here are the main diseases for which hirudotherapy can help.

Harm from leeches

What is more in leech treatment, benefit or harm? More than one generation of pundits has been arguing over this issue.

Skeptics claim the possibility of leech entering the body along with saliva. pathogenic bacteria and microbes. True, other doctors deny this.

But it is true that substances that prevent blood clotting can in some cases cause dermatitis.

If you read information that a leech can penetrate the body, you should not believe it.

The healing properties of leeches were known during the reign of the Egyptian pharaohs. Until the 18th century, they were used to heal the sick, but then disappeared from medicine for a long time. All manipulations were carried out without proper hygiene, often unprofessionally. Hirudotherapy, the indications for treatment of which were not taken into account, was not beneficial, but harmful. Only at the end of the 19th century did leeches begin to be used again, and today treatment with this method in an unconventional way is gaining high popularity.

What is hirudotherapy?

Treatment with leeches is not traditional method therapy, it belongs to the areas of unofficial medicine. To influence human body grow special kind these little doctors. They are bred in special biological factories. This species is considered a medicinal leech. Only it is used in all sessions that involve hirudotherapy. Indications for treatment are determined individually. The beneficial effect is based on the biological activity of leech secretion. The saliva of this annelid contains hirudin, hormones, vitamins, and enzymes, which makes it a unique biologically active liquid. In addition, the secretion has analgesic properties, so the bite is considered virtually painless.



Composition of saliva and effects on the human body

The complex of components contained in saliva ensures the effectiveness of hirudotherapy:

• hirudin - has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, slows down blood clotting processes;
• destabilase - an enzyme that prevents the formation of blood clots;
• hyaluronidase is an enzyme that ensures the breakdown of hyaluronic acid and deep penetration active ingredients in fabric;
• aeglins are special substances that can remove inflammatory process, promoting tissue restoration and regeneration.

Hirudotherapy, the indications for which are taken into account by a professional therapist, can have a significant therapeutic effect. When a leech attaches itself to skin, she almost immediately throws her secret into the blood. Its spread throughout the body causes a whole chain of reactions that occur cellular level. Leech saliva is a powerful anticoagulant that has been successfully used in the treatment of blood clots. Once in the bloodstream, it has a restorative effect, improves sleep, stabilizes nervous activity, appetite, and mood. Metabolic reactions in cells are restored and immunity is increased. After several sessions, apathy and passivity disappear, and overall mood and well-being improve.

In addition, the hirudotherapist tries to place them on the body in such a way that the impact is directed at powerful reflex points. At the same time, a treatment mechanism begins to work, which is actively used in acupuncture.



Where does the procedure begin?

Regardless of the area to be treated, the patient must undergo a complete medical examination. Only then will a hirudotherapist develop adequate treatment tactics. It is the doctor who determines the area where the leech will “work”.

Usually, this little healer, when landing on a person’s body, makes two or three test bites, then firmly attaches itself and drinks blood. When the leech gets enough, it falls off on its own. Throughout the procedure, the person does not feel discomfort. Medical leeches are used only once and are disposed of after the procedure.

What diseases do leeches save from?

Hirudotherapy can be so effective that it will relieve last resort- surgical intervention. Leeches are a safe and simple remedy, a real pharmaceutical mini-factory on which all hirudotherapy is based. Indications for this alternative treatment may be the following:

• phlebeurysm;
• hypertension, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis;
• migraine;
• bronchial asthma;
• ophthalmological diseases;
• gout;
• thrombosis, trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis;
• haemorrhoids.

Treatment with leeches is an excellent prevention of heart attacks and strokes, therapy of urological and gynecological problems. Effective hirudotherapy, the indications and contraindications for which have now been studied quite widely, has helped many people heal.



Contraindications

There are not many contraindications to the method; they are usually associated with blood clotting disorders. Leech secretion affects stopping bleeding, so treatment with this ancient technique is contraindicated in anemia, hemophilia, cachexia. In addition, it is better for women to refrain from procedures while they are expecting a baby. Treatment is not prescribed for children under 10 years of age, or if the patient has an allergic reaction to saliva.

Doctors warn that hirudotherapy has not only categorical, but also relative contraindications: febrile conditions, mental disorders, acute heart attacks and pancreatitis. In some cases, treatment is not carried out if a person has diabetes.



A large number of patients note the effectiveness of such an alternative treatment method as hirudotherapy. Indications and reviews of the procedure can be found in this article, a little lower. The method allows you to fight a wide range of diseases. What do patients and doctors say?

1. When the session is carried out under the supervision of a professional specialist, strictly according to indications, there is nothing to fear. People say that a leech bite is pain looks like a mosquito. When it is on the skin, there is no discomfort.
2. Representatives of traditional medicine recommend contacting hirudotherapists for the treatment of certain diseases. However, it is very important to follow all indications and contraindications for the procedure, turning to real specialists.

Complications

If treatment is carried out by a professional therapist, the patient has no contraindications, and the risk of complications is minimized. If a person self-medicates or turns to amateurs, leech bites can become a source of wound infection- this is the only risk that hirudotherapy carries. Indications and contraindications, reviews of which are heard more and more often, you need to know. This will help prevent the development of other complications.



Leeches in gynecology

Depending on the gynecological disease, the leech is placed on a certain area located in the lower abdomen. As soon as it is sucked in, a strong reflex action begins. This helps relieve the pelvic organs, stopping inflammation and congestion. Practice shows that the effectiveness of hirudotherapy in treating a certain range of diseases is quite high, so pain in the lower abdomen is relieved and their symptoms disappear. However, a course of procedures cannot completely replace the main therapy; this is the main recommendation of traditional medicine specialists.

Hirudotherapy: indications in gynecology

And they are as follows:

• infertility;
• menopausal syndrome;
• mastopathy;
• colpitis;
• adenomyosis;
• fibroids;
• viral and bacterial infections female genital area.

Standard contraindications: hemophilia or other diseases associated with poor blood clotting, low arterial pressure, allergy to leech secretion, pregnancy. In addition, it is not recommended to seek such treatment when a woman is experiencing her usual monthly periods.

Many women from serious illnesses It was hirudotherapy that saved the sexual sphere. Indications and contraindications in gynecology have been studied in detail, so the risk of complications is practically eliminated.



Instead of completing

Every person has the right to choose one or another method of treatment. However, one should not be skeptical about unconventional methods medicine. Hirudotherapy, the indications for which allow for at least one session, can significantly alleviate the condition of the entire body. Reviews say so.

A medicinal leech will help cure many diseases, and in some cases eliminate surgical intervention. The main recommendations are that the session should be performed only by a professional hirudotherapist. This will help avoid complications, including the development of wound infections.