Treatment with leeches, indications and contraindications

Recently, treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy) has become particularly popular. However, such therapy is not completely harmless and has a number of contraindications.

What is the peculiarity of the procedure?

Experts have proved that the enzymes contained in the saliva of leeches have unique healing properties. They are used to fight many diseases. Treatment with leeches is used in endometriosis, infertility, habitual miscarriage, inflammatory processes in women, preparation for IVF. Hirudotherapy is effective in urological diseases in men: potency disorders , male infertility. Good results show the treatment of prostatitis leeches. Hirudotherapy is indicated for people with heart disease (IHD), hypertension, patients with ischemic stroke (not less than 6 months), suffering from varicose veins, intervertebral hernia, atherosclerosis, osteochondrosis, migraine, diabetes.

Before making a decision about the therapy, it is necessary to consult with specialists, to undergo ultrasound examination, to pass the tests. Further, the doctor, after diagnosing, and also taking into account information about concomitant diseases, will determine the tactics of treatment. The number of sessions should ideally be 8-10 (a couple of times a week for half an hour). In prophylactic purposes, leeches are treated once a year, and patients with chronic diseases should be treated twice a year. The procedure is almost painless and not accompanied by unpleasant sensations. However, at the time of attaching the leech, the patient feels a slight tingling.

Treatment with leeches, contraindications

It should be noted that improper conduct of the procedure can lead to serious consequences and an unfavorable outcome.

Leeches should not be placed near blood vessels, as this is fraught with bleeding. The bite zone can become infected, and there is also a high risk of developing an allergic reaction. Treatment with leeches has some contraindications, the main ones of which are hemophilia, bleeding of unclear etiology, decreased immunity, oncological diseases, pregnancy, individual intolerance, anemia. Hirudotherapy is contraindicated for children under 5 years.

There is an opinion that it is undesirable to conduct such procedures in the summer, but it is mistaken. Most likely, on the contrary, in a warm time, the activity of enzymes increases in leeches, which contributes to a more effective elimination of the foci of inflammatory disease. Treatment with leeches improves blood circulation, normalizes blood pressure in hypertension, increases immunity. Enzymes, of which more than 100, produce an antibacterial effect, contribute to the cure of all forms of inflammatory processes.

Hirudotherapy is considered an alternative method of treatment, it is used in cases where previously used methods of therapy were ineffective. This medication can be combined with other medications, but before that you should consult a doctor who appointed them. So you reduce the risk of negative consequences.