Recently, treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy) has gained particular popularity. However, such therapy is not completely harmless and has a number of contraindications.
What is special about the procedure?
Specialists have proven 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 for endometriosis, infertility, habitual miscarriage, inflammatory processes in women, preparation for IVF. Hirudotherapy is effective for urological diseases in men: potency disorders, male infertility. Good results are shown by the treatment of prostatitis with leeches. Hirudotherapy is indicated for people with heart disease (CHD), hypertension, patients who have had an ischemic stroke (at least 6 months later), suffering from varicose veins, herniated discs, atherosclerosis, osteochondrosis, migraine, diabetes mellitus.
Before deciding on therapy, it is necessary to consult with specialists, undergo an ultrasound scan, and pass tests. Further, the doctor, after making a diagnosis, and also consideringinformation about concomitant diseases, determine the tactics of treatment. The number of sessions should ideally be 8-10 (a couple of times a week for half an hour). For preventive purposes, treatment with leeches is carried out once a year, and patients with chronic diseases should undergo therapy twice a year. The procedure is almost painless and is not accompanied by discomfort. True, at the moment the leech is attached, the patient feels a slight tingling sensation.
Treatment with leeches, contraindications
It should be noted that improper procedure can lead to serious consequences and adverse outcomes.
Leeches should not be placed near blood vessels, as this is fraught with bleeding. The bite area can become infected, and there is also a high risk of developing an allergic reaction. Treatment with leeches has some contraindications, the main of which are hemophilia, bleeding of unknown etiology, reduced immunity, cancer, pregnancy, individual intolerance, anemia. Hirudotherapy is contraindicated for children under 5 years old.
There is an opinion that it is undesirable to carry out such procedures in the summer, but it is wrong. Most likely, on the contrary, in warm weather, leeches increase the activity of enzymes, which contributes to a more effective elimination of foci of the inflammatory disease. Treatment with leeches improves blood circulation, normalizes blood pressure in hypertension, and improves immunity. Enzymes, which are more than 100, produce an antibacterial effect, contribute tocure any form of inflammation.
Hirudotherapy is considered an alternative method of treatment, it is used in cases where previously used methods of therapy were ineffective. This treatment can be combined with other medicines, but before that you should consult with the doctor who prescribed them. So you reduce the risk of negative consequences.
