The therapeutic technique, according to which leeches are used for varicose veins of the lower extremities, is a kind of hirudotherapy - a long-standing direction of alternative medicine. How these procedures are carried out, what their effect and contraindications are, let us consider further.
What is hirudotherapy?
The use of leeches in the treatment of various diseases was practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece, India. In Europe, this method was most popular in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Since the end of the XIX century, active studies of the leeches' action on the human body by adherents of scientific medicine began. As a result, a special substance was detected, which is released by these worms, which has the main healing effect. This substance is hirudin - an enzyme of salivary glands of leeches, capable of liquefying blood.
In addition, the saliva of leeches contains about a hundred biologically active substances, isolated and well-studied later. The main of them are:
- calin;
- bdellins;
- apyrase;
- bradykinins;
- destabilase;
- orghelase;
- kininase
- collagenase;
- eglina.
When leech sucking all these valuable substances enter the bloodstream of a person, providing anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antisclerotic, bacteriostatic, anticoagulant action, promoting the formation of new capillaries, activating the immune system. Hirudotherapy sessions include a dosed out hemorrhage, which also has a curative effect: there is an influx of "fresh" blood, blood pressure decreases.
It is worth noting that leeches bite the skin only at special points associated with all organs and systems that are used in acupuncture . Hirudotherapy with varicose is recommended by adherents of this method at any stage of the pathological process as part of complex therapy. In addition, bites of leeches may be useful in thrombophlebitis , which often complicates varicose veins.
What leeches are used in hirudotherapy?
It should be understood that only special medicinal leeches of the species Hirudo medicinalis are applicable for procedures, and those extracted from the reservoirs themselves are dangerous for health, because they can be carriers of infection. Leeches with varicose veins of the lower extremities are used grown on bio-factories, with observance of the conditions of sterility. Each of them performs its medical function only once, after which it must be destroyed. Therefore leeches are akin to disposable instruments that exclude infection.
Hirudotherapy - benefit and harm in varicose veins
Opinions of doctors about whether it is advisable to treat leeches with leeches on their feet, are separated. To understand the expected result of sucking leeches, the benefits and harm with varicose from which can be different, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of the development of this disease, the main pathogenetic processes. It should always be remembered that each treatment method has its own positive and negative ways, and none of the techniques is capable of becoming a panacea for absolutely everyone.
Is it possible to put leeches with varicose veins?
Answering a question, whether it is possible to treat varicose with leeches, we will get acquainted with this pathology closer. Varicose veins , accompanied by a change in the venous network, swelling and pain, occurs due to disruption of the venous valves. In this case, there is an inverse blood flow, the appearance of excessive blood volume, leading to stagnation, increased pressure, overstretch of the vascular walls. There are no precise reasons for the weakening of the veins valves.
Effects manifested by suction of medical leeches, can not in any way affect the pathological mechanisms that trigger the defeat of the venous network, therefore, it will not be possible to eliminate the disease by this technique (as in any other conservative method of treating varicose veins). In this case, girudoterapevty recommend using a technique to ease the condition and prevent complications.
Do leeches help with varicose veins?
According to the patients, for many of them hirudotherapy with leg varicose gives good results, reducing the severity of symptoms and improving overall health. Asking phlebologists whether leeches help with varicose veins, you can hear that these procedures give a short effect, which can manifest themselves under the influence of drugs, physiotherapy procedures.
How leeches help with varicose veins on the legs:
- eliminate stagnant phenomena and prevent the appearance of thrombi;
- lead to a decrease in venous pressure;
- reduce pain;
- eliminate puffiness ;
- improve the supply of tissues with oxygen;
- eliminate inflammatory processes.
Positive results of the use of leeches with varicose veins of the lower extremities can be achieved only with properly conducted procedures under the guidance of an experienced specialist and provided there are no contraindications. The negative consequences of procedures are not excluded, among which:
- prolonged bleeding;
- appearance of age spots;
- allergic reactions;
- dermatitis;
- lymphadenitis ;
- thrombophlebitis;
- thrombosis of veins.
Treatment with leeches - contraindications
Treatment with leech varicose veins is prohibited for the following conditions and health problems:
- oncological diseases;
- blood diseases (anemia, hemophilia, coagulation disorders);
- infectious processes, accompanied by increased body temperature;
- chronic hypotension;
- tuberculosis;
- intolerance to the components of leech saliva;
- period of pregnancy and lactation.
How to put leeches with varicose veins?
Before conducting hirudotherapy, it is recommended to conduct an examination of the body, including a clinical blood test, the definition of a prothrombin index, an analysis for fibrinogen. Leeches from varicose veins are placed in a specially equipped office. Sessions can last from 5 to 45 minutes, their regularity - once every 3-5 days. The treatment course includes 6-10 procedures and is often performed once a year. Before the session, some preparation is required, which consists in observing the following rules:
- Do not use detergents with perfumes, perfumes, scented creams on the day of the procedure;
- the day before you should not drink alcohol, smoke;
- refusal from hot baths;
- Exclusion from the diet of fatty, high-calorie food.
Where to put leeches with varicose veins - Scheme
The points of leeches for varicose may differ depending on the location and extent of the lesion, but in any scheme, the expert follows the rules.
Main recommendations
- You can not put "bloodsuckers" directly on a vein or knot.
- It is inadmissible to apply them to the inner side of the thigh.
- The site involved in the procedure should not have closely located vessels and visible lesions.
- During the first and second sessions, leeches are often placed not on their legs, but on the areas of the liver and sacrum (to activate the liver and reduce the risk of side effects).
In most cases leeches with varicose veins of the lower limbs are applied along the diseased vessel at a distance of 1 cm from it in a staggered order (in the scheme below with the image of the outer side of the foot - points 1 to 4, from 5 to 7). One limb requires 4-5, sometimes more "healers" per session. In addition, leeches are attached to sites with impaired blood circulation, indicated by pigmentation on the skin (points 8 to 12). Leeches with varicose veins of the lower extremities are made from a transparent bottle, which is pressed against the neck of the desired area of the skin. At the moment of suction, there is a slight soreness, which quickly disappears.
How to remove a leech from the body?
When leeches are treated with leeches, in one session each individual drinks up to 15 ml of blood, after which it is disconnected (after about half an hour). If there is no need for prolonged suction, the leeches are painlessly removed, bringing to them a fleece moistened with alcohol. Because of the smell of alcohol, leeches release the skin by themselves and can be removed with tweezers.
What to do after putting the leeches?
The point of leeches with the varicose veins still continue to bleed for some time, so the treatment is followed by antiseptic treatment and bandaging. After the first procedures, bleeding can last more than 20 hours. In the future, when leeches are used for varicose veins, bleeding time is shortened. Until the blood stops, you can not take a shower. At home you need to lubricate the wounds with antiseptics before healing.