Even before our era, people believed that all diseases are associated with stagnation of blood. Therefore, malaise was most often eliminated by bloodletting. Not only sharp objects were used for this, small worms that lived in water bodies were also used. This method of treatment is now called hirudotherapy. The benefits and harms of leech therapy have been tested for centuries.
History of hirudotherapy
Leech therapy, or hirudotherapy, is an ancient art. The first mention of such a procedure can be found in the works of ancient Indian and Persian scholars. The Roman explorer Pliny the Elder described in detail the magical properties of blood-sucking worms.
Centuries later, Avicenna in the “Canon of Medicine”, the most famous of his writings, carefully considered issues relating to such a treatment method as hirudotherapy. The benefits and harms of leeches were studied in detail by him. It is believed that this is one of the first in-depth studies in the treatment of blood-sucking worms.
In the Middle Ages, when church ministers took up medicine, this type of treatment was banned. But they were not able to completely eradicate the habit of people to use leeches in the fight against the disease. In the villages, local healers did not stop healing everyone in this way.
In the Renaissance, all doctors again turned to hirudotherapy. Soon, this method was firmly rooted in the UK. It was believed that bloodletting could save from death. People had no doubt that leeches suck only bad blood, which caused health problems.
Today hirudotherapy is gaining its former popularity. The benefits and harms of it have already been studied in more detail. Now open research laboratories in which they study the healing powers of these worms, create enterprises for their cultivation.
Biological features of leeches
Leeches are a kind of annelid worms. Most of them parasitize on large animals. The body is flattened, without a pronounced head region. On the body of the victim they are strengthened with the help of suction cups.
In the head of the body there is a mouth with three rows of teeth, with the help of which the worms pierce the skin to suck blood. During this leech increase several times. It is enough for these parasites to eat several times a year.
Why are leeches so useful?
In the saliva of these creatures is a component that contains many useful biologically active substances. First of all, they prevent the formation of blood clots, and also have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Since the bite of the worms saliva enters the bloodstream, moving along the blood vessels that pass through the entire human body, it can positively affect the entire body.
What leeches can treat
Not all types of leeches have healing properties. Ordinary inhabitants of reservoirs are not suitable for medical procedures. For this, special worms grown in the sterility of laboratories are needed, and they can be used only once. The benefits and harms of hirudotherapy depend on the type and correctness of the treatment. Self-medication can cause irreparable harm to health. Non-medical leeches can be carriers of various diseases, so you should not do this on your own.
The benefits of hirudotherapy, or what are the benefits of leeches
There are few diseases that cannot be treated with leeches. Therefore, the scope of these worms is quite extensive. It has many advantages over other methods. The main ones are the absence of negative consequences, side effects and a minimum of contraindications, which experts confirm. Hirudotherapy is used in dentistry, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology and other fields of medicine. Thanks to leeches, you can easily dissolve kidney stones, cure infertility, and increase immunity. In addition, they are able to cope where other methods are powerless.
Judging by the reviews of patients, hirudotherapy in some cases is used not as an independent method of treatment, but in combination with medications. You can take a course of therapy with certain medicines and at the same time put leeches. Experts believe that these worms can relieve pain.
It should be noted that leeches can be used not only for the treatment of certain diseases. They can be used to prevent disease. Hirudotherapy can improve the condition of even a completely healthy person.
Indications for treatment
Many are interested in the benefits of hirudotherapy and when to use it. Since this procedure has no side effects, it is indicated for many people with various diseases. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. Leeches will best help people who are predisposed to diseases, which can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition, excessive consumption of sweets. These can be diseases such as hemorrhoids, constipation, thrombophlebitis. In some cases, leeches are the only chance to get rid of these problems. Just a few sessions will help get rid of stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs and limbs.
The anti-inflammatory substances that make up leech saliva can help treat infections. Specialists advise using hirudotherapy for those who have weak immunity.
It is believed that with the help of these creatures, nerves can be treated. Substances that penetrate the human body with a bite of a leech contribute to the growth of nerve cells. This feature helps in the recovery period after a stroke, with multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
Modern experts have learned to use the magical properties of worms in cosmetology. Enzymes in the saliva of leeches have anti-aging properties. In addition, hirudotherapy is used to treat cellulite. There is even a special branch in cosmetology called hirudoplasty. But it is recommended that before starting the procedure, eliminate digestive problems, otherwise the effect will not last long.
Recently, they began to take leeches to eliminate psychological problems. With their help, you can get rid of depression, cheer up, eliminate sleep disorders. Nowadays, it has been repeatedly proved which find is hirudotherapy. The benefits and harms of treatment have been tested by many patients.
Contraindications
Despite the large number of areas of application, like many other methods, hirudotherapy has contraindications. The benefits and harm that the procedure can bring to the body depend on compliance with the rules. Before starting treatment, you need to consult a doctor. First, they donate blood for analysis, according to which the specialist will determine whether the procedure is needed now, or whether it can be postponed.
The use of leeches is strictly contraindicated in hemophilia, when even the slightest wound can lead to serious consequences. Also, do not resort to hirudotherapy during pregnancy, during menstruation, when there is a natural loss of blood, with anemia, otherwise it can lead to a decrease in already low hemoglobin. Doctors prohibit the use of leeches in cancer. Such a method of treatment is forbidden to people who have an individual intolerance to the individual components in the composition of their saliva, but such cases are very rare.
The harm of hirudotherapy
The benefits and harms of hirudotherapy cannot be equated with each other. No matter how magical the treatment with leeches may seem, it is important to know that it can not always bring benefits and the desired effect. But if you follow all the tips and pay attention to contraindications, then the procedure can not do any harm. The main thing is to consult with a specialist. Such a non-standard treatment method as hirudotherapy is becoming increasingly popular. Benefit and harm, patient reviews suggest that soon this method of getting rid of diseases will be firmly entrenched in medicine.