Roughly 600 leech species have been identified to date, but only about 15 are used in medicine. Leeches classified as “medicinal leeches”, Hirudo Medicinalis, in the narrower sense have been used to treat patients for centuries.
The first documented accounts of the use of Hirudo medicinalis for medicinal purposes date back to the time of Hippocrates. According to Sanskrit writings, Dhavantari, the father of Indian medicine, held nectar in one hand and a leech in the other. Leech therapy is also used in traditional Chinese medicine. Paintings of medicinal leeches have been found in pharaohs tombs. The Solomon Parables also describe leech treatment use in ancient medicine. Leech therapy in Greek medicine can be found in the poem Alexipharmacia by Nicandros. Roman physician Galen classified leech terapy as a method for achieving healthy balance. Avicenna also used leeches for healing aids. In the past leeches have proved to be the most effective treatment in many cases. Leeches were especially useful in battle wound treatment. European countries in the 18th and 19th centuries imported over 100 million leeches every year to satisfy high demand.
Today, doctors use leeches for treating abscesses, painful joints, glaucoma, myasthenia, and to heal venous diseases and thrombosis. Medical leeches are used in plastic surgery, for improving brain circulation and for curing infertility.
The general indications for leech therapy are:
Inflammatory Reactions
Heart Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases
Tendovaginitis and Tendinitis
Venous Disease and Varicose Veins
Arthrosis
Arthritis
Muscle Tension
Antidyscratic therapy ( blood purification and regeneration) of toxicoses and mental illnesses
Thrombosis and embolism
Passive congestions and spastic conditions
Vertebrogenic Pain Syndromes
Transudates and exudates
A simple principle lies at the heart of all hirudo-miracles. During the process of feeding, leeches secrete a complex mixture of different biologically and pharmacologically active substances into the wound. Hirudin is the best known component of leech saliva. Hirudin is sometimes used to describe all active substance in leech saliva. In reality, Hirudin refers only to one specific active substance in leech salive. Components of medicinal leech saliva that exert effects in the host's body are:
Hirudin Inhibits blood coagulation by binding to thrombin
Calin Inhibits blood coagulation by blocking the binding of von Willebrand factor to collagen. Inhibits collagen- mediated platelet aggregation
Destabilase Monomerizing activity. Dissolves fibrin. Thrombolytic effects
Hirustasin Inhibits kallikrein, trypsin, chymotrypsin, neutropholic cathepsin G
Bdellins Anti-inflammatory. Inhibits trypsin, plasmin, acrosin
Hyaluronidase Increases interstitial viscosity. Antibiotic
Tryptase inhibitor Inhibits proteolytic enzymes of host mast cells
Eglins Anti-inflammatory. Inhibit the activity of alpha-chymotrypsin, chymase, substilisin, elastase, cathepsin G
Factor Xa inhibitor Inhibits the activity of coagulation factor xa by forming equimolar complexes
Complement inhibitors May possibly replace natural complement inhibitors if they are deficient
Carboxypeptidase A inhibitors Increases the inflow of blood at the bite site
Histaminelike substances Vasodilator. Increases the inflow of blood at the bite site
Acetylcholine Vasodilator
Anesthetics subsctance Anesthetic
Frequently Asked Questions
In which water should the leeches be kept in?
Clear water that is free from chlorine is necessary for maintaining leeches. Avoid placing leeches in chlorinated water. Leeches are sensitive to substances such as chlorine, copper, and other chemicals. Non-chlorinated tap water in most areas is suitable for leeches. Do not use distilled water alone since its extreme purity can be harmful to the leeches' metabolic balance. Keep the water clean. Once the water shows signs of becoming dirty or polluted, it should be changed.
How can I get rid of the chlorine taste and smell in my drinking water ?
It can be as simple as letting a jug of water sit open to the air for a period of time giving the chlorine in the water time leave the water. Other possible solution could be to install a faucet-mounted filter.
How often do I need to change water for leeches?
Every 3-6 days, depends on quantity of leeches in a jar
How to change water for leeches?
Cover the jar opening by gauze and dump the old water. The gauze will absorb the grease from the jar (pieces of the old leech skin, etc.) Then pour some fresh water in the jar.
Sudden temperature changes could harm the leeches, so keep your containers with fresh water in the same room where you keep the leeches.
How many leeches can I keep in a jar?
Up to 50 leeches per gallon (4 liters)
What temperature is ideal for leeches?
Any temperature in a range of 40F to 80 F (5-27 C)
How long can I keep the leeches in the thermos/plastic container that you sent them in?
Don't keep leeches in a thermos. The thermos is too small and we use it for transportation purposes only.
Do I need to feed leeches?
Leeches can live up to one year without food so you don't need to feed them.
How fast does a leech become hungry and ready to suck again?
In 50-70 days. This doesn't mean that you can use the leech again in 50-70 days. Please remember, hospitals and clinics use the leeches only once and then must dispose them. Some individuals use their own leeches in 3-4 months
What is leeches lifespan?
Up to 10 years. However, we can't guarantee that the leeches will be alive many weeks after they have arrived. It depends on many factors that are out of our control : quality of water, smells, quality of ventilation, sharp temperature or pressure changes, etc. Leeches can die after a meal just because they have eaten too much . Some customers execute mistakes what we can’t imagine, for example, mix fed and hungry leeches, leave detergent on the walls of the jar when they use a dishwasher, etc . That's why we guarantee that the leeches will be alive only upon arrival. Most of our customers order the leeches and use them immediately or in a few days, and then dispose the leeches.
Are you still able to safely ship leeches during the cold winter months?
We can deliver the leeches safely if the temperature in your area is in a range of 5F to 90F
This information is only correct for the leeches that we supply. If you buy the leeches somewhere else you must ask your supplier how to take care of them
How to store and take care of leeches
We receive many requests about how to take care of leeches.
Take a glass jar, fill it to 2/3 by non-chlorinated water, cover by fabric with a good elastic band (leeches can crawl out without it - the smallest hole is big enough for them).
Keep in mind leeches must breathe (they can breathe through fabric but not through a plastic cover)
Change the water every 3-6 days (depends on quantity of leeches in a jar).
Leech Therapy
How much blood does a patient lose during the treatment?
Leeches (European specie Hirudo Medicinalis) can consume between 5 and 15 ml of blood – 4-6 times their body weight in a single feeding. An American specie Macrobdella Decora can consume 10 times less blood than Hirudo Medicinalis. That's why only the European specie is used in medicine. Generally leech therapists use up to 10 leeches so the patient can lose up to 150 ml of blood during the treatment
With 8 leeches the blutverlust for the patient is including to the Nachbluten with approx. 200 to 350 ml blood. "a small leech sucks 2g - the quantity doubles itself 3 g, more largely to 30 g, on average by the postoperative hemorrhage. Generally one counts on an average value of 20 - is limited 30 g total blood loss per leech and to setting 4 - 12 copies in a meeting "
Does a leech bite cause pain?
The bite of a leech is felt by the patients like 2-3 mosquito bites.So the bite of the leech is not painful. The leech saliva is filled with a chemical that contains a painkiller, which stops you from feeling the bite. The saliva also has a chemical, which keeps the blood from clotting.
In which diseases can leeches help?
Thanks to its blood-diluting and container-extending effect the leech is the ideal therapist for blood circulation disturbances.Usually unsatisfactory blood circulation is connected with diseases such as: Thrombose, cramp veins, Haemorrhoiden, cardiac infarct, impact accumulations, calcifying the containers, Tinnitus.
Positive effects could be determined with rheumatism, Arthrose, volume disk problems, pulling, bruises, muscular pains or muscle injuries.
How can I accomplish the leech therapy?
1. Wash hands.
2. Select appropriate personal protective equipment (gloves).
3. Cleanse area with normal saline soaked sterile gauze.
4. Apply leeches with gloved hand on tweezers.
5. Allow leech to attach large posterior end first and direct smaller head end to the desired site. ( Leeches can be loaded into an empty syringe without a plunger “rear end first” and the open end of syringe is placed over the desired site to ensure proper placement. )
6. Apply the other leeches if neseseary.
7. Monitor leeches until they fill with blood (10-20 minutes). Usually the leech falls off itself (if not use salt. Leeches do not like salt and will drop off)
Why does a leech sometimes not want to bite?
With certain site conditions leech bite more badly:
with cold skin
with smokers
with perfume-pure
with older humans
Remedy is possible through warming up and cleaning the skin. Further measures those are helpful the skin soften and the blood circulation promote. If the leech does not want to bite at all, there is the possibility the skin with a needle to puncture still.
Are there side effects?
With the right execution of leech therapy and attention of all contraindications heavy side effects arise very rarely. Local reactions are possible in the proximity of the point of the bite.Also, cycle weakness occurs relatively more frequently.
In which other cases can leeches be used?
Leeches can relieve blood pooling around a muscle or skin flap better than drugs or other treatments. They are used to keep the blood flow in muscle, skin and fat tissue that has been surgically moved from one part of your body to another. These tissues are also called flaps
Why is leech therapy used instead of other medical treatment?
In some cases, leeches do a better job by removing pooled blood than any other medical therapy.
What are the benefits of leech therapy?
The benefits of leech therapy are not only the amount of blood that the leech removes: It is the anti-blood clotting enzymes in their saliva that allow blood flow from the area where they have been.
Why do some people reject using leeches ?
Many people are afraid of these creatures crawling on their body and biting them.
Safety and Adverse Effects of Leech Therapy
Leech therapy rarely ever leads to serious complications. The local pain of treatment and short-term itching are regular side effects. Prior to treatment, the patient should be advised accordingly and asked to sign a consent form describing the relevant side effects (see Appendix). Prevalence data from systematic and prospective studies are only available for some of the different side effects of leech therapy. The following analysis was compiled using the data from published efficacy studies and case reports, as well as from personal observations. Quality control data on adverse events documented in more than 1000 cases treated at Essen-Mitte Hospital, mostly for treatment of degenerative joint disease, were also included in the analysis.
Local Pain During Treatment
Perceptions of the local pain of leeching vary. Most patients describe a local dragging pain that occurs immediately after the leech bites and persists for around one to five minutes. As more and more saliva is introduced into the tissues, the anesthetic effect of leech saliva begins to take effect. The intensity of the pain of the leech bite and the first phase of feeding is generally described as mild or negligible (depending on the individual's pain threshold), but some patients find the pain more intense, similar to that of a wasp sting. The perceived intensity of the leech bite varies from one individual to another. Subjective pain ratings range from "hardly noticeable" to "mild" (similar to the pain of stinging nettle) to "similar to a wasp sting" (very rare). A slight (or sometimes somewhat stronger) rhythmic pulling sensation is usually noticed for the first one to three minutes after the start of feeding.
Whether stimuli of exactly the same intensity are perceived as painful or are not perceived at all is certainly dependent on the individual's personality, but also depends on that person's concentration on the leech or attitude toward leech therapy. The size of the individual leech's jaw, the strength of the bite, the intensity of suction, and the volume and composition of the leech saliva also play a role. Many people never even notice the leech bite, for example when they are bitten under water while their attention is focused on something else. Frequently, the more anxiously the patient focuses on the leech preparing to bite, the higher the pain perception. The leech therapist should keep this in mind during the preparation phase and during treatment. A diversion can sometimes be helpful. It is also helpful to allow the patient to "get to know" "his" or "her" leech and to reassure the patient by handling the leech in a confident manner. If latex gloves must be worn for hygienic reasons, the leech therapist should never use forceps on the leech. Many patients lose their aversion to leeches when they are shown how elegantly they swim and the beautiful colored pattern on their back is pointed out. Many people report that the patient's attitude toward the leeches changes from negative to positive after a positive treatment experience. Most of the apprehensions projected onto the leech are based on archaic fears rather than on objective facts. We also advise against killing leeches in front of the patients. If the leech is to be killed after treatment, the animal should be frozen and placed in a 90% alcohol solution a few days later.
Local Itching
Transient itching at the site of the leech bite in the first few days after treatment is very common and should not be mistaken for an allergic reaction. In the study of the efficacy of leech therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, roughly 70% of patients treated with leeches developed local itching that lasted a mean of two days. Transient itching occurs at a comparable frequency, but stronger intensity levels in many cases where leeches were applied to more peripheral joints, for example the thumb, but at lower levels after treatment of large joints and vertebrogenic zones, according to empirical assessments. The patient could be advised of these side effects prior to treatment. The patient should never scratch the leech bite, especially after initial wound closure, because this frequently delays wound healing. We recommend local cooling remedies (curd wraps, cold moist wraps, vinegar wraps). For more severe itching, commercial antipruritic products (e.g., Fenistil ointment) or oral antihistamines may be used. Some leech therapists prescribe concurrent oral antihistamines for patients with a known history of severe reactions (itching and skin reddening) to leech therapy. Isolated reports describe brief recurrences of moderate itching in certain situations (e.g., high temperatures) over the course of several months after an otherwise uneventful course of leech therapy.
Hypotension and Vasovagal Attacks
Patients with a history of developing vasovagal attacks or syncope (fainting) before other invasive treatment methods may also develop such a reaction at the start of or during leech therapy. One survey showed that vasovagal attack occurred in one out of 1000 leech treatments performed at our hospital. Therefore, the leech therapist should always ask about the patient's prior history of vasovagal attack or fainting before procedures such as blood sample collection or acupuncture. To guard against vasovagal attack, the patient should drink plenty of fluids before and during treatment, and treatment should always be performed in a calming environment while the patient is lying down. Two outpatient cases of hypotension and vasodepressor syncope following leech therapy were also observed. Both patients had known arterial hypertension and were on triple antihypertensive medication, which they continued taking as usual. A few hours after leech therapy, both patients developed a brief attack of benign syncope. It is important to remember that leeching has a known antihypertensive effect when treating patients on antihypertensive medications. Patients should drink plenty of fluids. If there is a strong flow of blood from the leech bite, the patient's blood pressure should be monitored and antihypertensive medications should be adjusted as needed.
Blood Loss
Leech therapy is always associated with a certain degree of blood loss, which is clinically irrelevant in most cases. In the clinical trial by Michalsen, the mean hemoglobin loss was 0.7 mg/dL, and clinically relevant blood loss did not occur in any of the patients studied. However, there have been isolated observations of stronger afterbleeding with a corresponding decrease in hemoglobin, particularly in cases where a leech was inadvertently applied directly to a superficial vein. According to the records of Essen-Mitte Hospital, a clinically relevant decrease in hemoglobin (> 3 mg/dL) occurred after leech therapy in two patients, one of whom required a blood transfusion (after being treated with six leeches for osteoarthritis of the knee). Asked retrospectively, one of the patients stated that she had, in her opinion, experienced prolonged wound bleeding in the past. In another case, afterbleeding from the leech bite lasted over 36 hours and had to be stopped with a cutaneous suture. Extensive coagulation tests were then performed but did not reveal any specific coagulation disorder. Prior occurrences of abnormal bleeding seem to be anamnestically important, and patients should be specifically asked about such events. Anticoagulants are important concurrent medications to watch for. If low-dose aspirin is prescribed in combination with other platelet aggregation inhibitors (clopidogrel, Iscover, Plavix) or high-dose fish oil (Omacor), a smaller number of leeches (three to four) should initially be used. Blood counts should always be obtained before starting leech therapy. To reliably prevent the loss of relevant quantities of blood, the leech therapist should never use more than 12 leeches in a single treatment session.
Impaired Wound Healing, Superinfection, and Allergies
After the leech drops off, the edges of the three-pronged wound generally swell for 12-48 hours accompanied by a feeling of local tension, heat, and reddening. Small blood spots (ecchymoses) develop below the skin around the leech bite. Larger collections of blood rarely develop. As with superficial bruising, the blood spots are initially reddish violet, then turn yellowish, and finally disappear within around two weeks. Localized inflammation, sometimes with papulous elevation of the bite sites, is a relatively common problem that is often accompanied by itching . These inflammations usually subside quickly when iced and left undisturbed. The cause of this wound-healing disorder is unknown. Improper handling, especially early stoppage of afterbleeding from the wound, squeezing the head of the leech with forceps, forceful removal of the leech before it has finished feeding, and failure to keep the animals in fresh water, have frequently been implicated as potential causes. However, this has also been observed to occur after proper leech handling in isolated cases. Theoretically, local infection with Aeromonas hydrophila is a potential cause, but there has been no microbiological evidence so far of the presence of Aeromonas hydrophila in the wound secretions from the affected patients. More severe local inflammations are most commonly caused by secondary wound contamination or irritation due to mechanical irritation, such as scratching and rubbing. The patient should be thoroughly advised of the importance of protecting the wound from mechanical irritation. According to the hospital survey, more severe localized inflammations occurred in three isolated cases: One patient developed erysipelas and two developed moderate lymphangitis. All cases resolved quickly in response to antibiotic treatment with cephalosporins and/or gyrase inhibitors. Strict adherence to contraindications and localization recommendations minimizes the risk of localized inflammation. In unclear cases where progressive and painful skin reddening develops, especially if associated with increased temperature, the leech therapist should know to administer antibiotics immediately. Pseudolymphomas may occur in rare cases; these papulous efflorescences are caused by an arthropod reaction to the leech bite. Currently, there is no data by which to assess the precise frequency of this adverse effect. To our knowledge, a total of three documented and confirmed cases have been reported.
It is difficult to distinguish secondary wound-healing disorders from potential allergic reactions. Precise data on the frequency of allergic reactions to leech bites are not available. Local itching, a common side effect of leeching, should not be interpreted as an allergic reaction. Unequivocal allergic reactions such as transient urticaria and locodistant swelling have been reported in a few isolated cases. However, localized symptoms, reflex erythema, and urticarial dermographism in psychovegetatively labile individuals have been observed more often. An older case report describes the occurrence of a short-term anaphylactic shock after application of six leeches to the temple region. Some leech therapists administer systemic antihistamines for treatment of local allergic reactions with (empirically) good success. However, the good response rate to antihistamines is not proof per se of an allergic cause: A certain rate of placebo response to antihistamines must also be taken into account. The possible boosting of an existing antibiotic allergy by leech therapy was also proposed in a case report.
When interpreting local reactions that occur following leech therapy, it is important to remember that the proteases in leech saliva release various types of nonimmunological mediators. Furthermore, such reactions can be aggravated by psychovegetative factors. All in all, there are only a few cases in which an association between leech therapy and the occurrence of allergic reactions has been proved with sufficient certainty. However, allergic reactions may potentially occur after exposure to any foreign proteins. Contact dermatitis has also been observed after use of leech ointment.
Short-term reactive swelling and/or tenderness of proximal lymph nodes has occasionally been reported, but most commonly in patients with delayed wound healing. These symptoms have most frequently developed in the groin region after application of leeches for treatment of the knee joint, hip joint, or varicose veins. Rapid and uneventful disappearance of lymph node swelling is described in all of the case reports.
Sepsis
Sepsis due to systemic infection with Aeromonas hydrophila has been repeatedly observed after leech application in reconstructive surgery indications, but not in any of the other relevant fields of use. This supports the conclusion that the risk of Aeromonas hydrophila sepsis is increased only in patients with severe underlying diseases or immunosuppression, which is often the case in surgical candidates for leech therapy. We therefore recommend concurrent antibiotic treatment for all surgical patients receiving leech therapy . In the remaining fields of use, primary antibiotic therapy does not appear to be necessary according to the current state of knowledge, but relevant contraindications must be observed.
Transmission of Infectious Diseases
Today, medicinal leeches are generally only used once. Therefore, there is no risk of the indirect transfer of infectious diseases from one patient to another. Primary infection with Aeromonas hydrophila is clinically relevant only when leeches are applied to surgical transplants. Concurrent antibiotic treatment is therefore recommended for infection prophylaxis in these cases (see above). The transmission of other bacterial or viral pathogens to humans within the context of leech therapy has not been observed so far.
Scarring
When left undisturbed, leech scars usually quickly shrink to hardly visible or invisible tiny three-pronged marks that disappear completely within one to three weeks. However, if wound healing is impaired due to scratching or secondary wound infection, the scars may remain visible for significantly longer periods of time. Papulous skin changes persisting for several months have also been reported in isolated cases. In one case, a permanent "arthropod reaction" was also reported to occur after leech treatment. Significant scarring may occur particularly when leeches are applied to
areas with thin skin and thin layers of subcutaneous tissue or joint regions where the skin is in constant motion. The wearing of restrictive clothing after treatment, for example around the knees, can also result in scar formation.
For esthetic reasons, restraint is advised when using leeches in the facial region or in other clearly visible and cosmetically relevant parts of the body. Here, we again stress that it is necessary to thoroughly inform the patient about the potential risks of treatment, including scarring, and to obtain written informed consent from the patient before going ahead with the treatment.
U.S. approves leeches for therapy
Blood-sucking leeches - used for thousands of years in medicine - now have the U.S. government’s approval as a tool for healing skin grafts or restoring circulation, regulators said on Monday.
The Food and Drug Administration approved an application from French firm Ricarimpex SAS to market leeches for medicinal purposes. The company has been breeding leeches for 150 years, the FDA said.
Doctors have used the small aquatic worms for several thousand years in the belief that bloodletting helps to cure a wide range of complaints from headaches to gout. They reached their height of medicinal use in the mid-1800s.
Today, doctors around the world use leeches to remove blood pooled under skin grafts for burn patients, or to restore circulation in blocked veins by removing pooled blood, the FDA said in a statement.
Leeches are particularly useful in surgeries to reattach body parts such as fingers or ears, Ricarimpex said on its Web site. The leeches can help restore blood flow to reconnected veins.
The FDA said it considered the leeches a medical device. The agency approved their sale after reviewing medical literature and safety data provided by Ricarimpex.
The FDA also examined information about how the leeches are fed, their environment, and the employees who handle them.
Hirudotherapy
Hirudotherapy is a treatment using medical leeches. This kind of therapy is known from the time of extreme antiquity and is still alive nowadays. This fact testifies its efficiency in healing various kinds of illnesses and diseases. The method of hirudotherapy is approved by many countries.
The enormous experience of using medicinal leeches in medical purposes is saved up during many centuries. With the development of science the mechanism of action of a secret of salivary glands of leeches was deciphered, biologically active substances which are included in it were opened,their influence on the certain structures of an alive organism is investigated. Some medical forms are created on a basis of biologically active substances of salivary glands of leeches and work on creation of new substances is conducting. Modern hirudotherapy differs from the ancient one because now we do not use wild leeches: instead we use leeches grown at special biofactories where they are in a severe quarantine. Besides, nowadays we use a leech only once. This fact completely excludes the chance of infecting a patient.
The obvious advantage and absolute safety of hirudotherapy is checked up by thousands of years of experience of mankind and does not cause any doubts. One of the first substances found in salivary glands of medicinal leech is hirudin-the substance oppressing the process of blood clotting. Then such anticoagulating substances as ferment destabilaza,ingibitors of plazmine,callecrein of plasmine and others were opened. Factors of diffusion-ferments of gialuronidaza,collagenaza,the factors appressing the mediators of pain-cininaza,antisclerous factors were investigated as well. Again opened substances are studied. Thus,a medicinal leech is a small “factory” manufacturing biologically active substances. The result of action of biologically active substances on an alive organism are:
-normalization and improvement of capillary circulation;
-expressed antiinflammation effect;
-antistressful and adaptogene effects;
-immunostimulating and immunomodulating effects;
-anesthesia;
-anticoagulation;
-antibacterial effect;
-improvement of an endocellular exhange and the realization of these mechanisms has both local and general character.
The existence of skin-visceral connections with the definite organs is well known. Biologically active substances act to organs during the blood-sucking work of medicinal leeches through viens. It promotes the improvement of blood circulation in the certain organ,renders trombolitic,antiinflammatory,immunostimulating action,raises nutrition of tissues, strengthens tissues immunity. It’s impossible to name all diseases which can be treated by using hirudotherapy. It’s easier to name contra-indications here :
absolute-hemophilia,
relative-pregnancy,anemia,hypotonia.
Hirudotherapy may be applied at any diseases known nowadays. It can be used as an independent method of treating and in complex with the others. Doctors know perfectly well how it is difficult to struggle with chronic inflammatory diseases. The matter is that at all varieties of clinical displays of illnesses mechanisms of protection of an organism are universal-emission mediators of inflammation,vazoconstrictors,apireties and some other biologically active substances into blood. Everything comes to aspiration of a live organism to delimit the nidus of inflammation by deterioration of blood circulation and capillary-tissue permeability,creation of an inflammatory shaft by cellular and conjunctive tissue structure and a temperature mode in the given area.As a result of it the concentration of drugs for example an antibiotic in the nidus of inflammation is much lower than in blood. The increase of a dose of a chemical drug doesn’t solve a problem because leads to excessive allergy and strikes a blow on other organs-(on liver,kidneys,spinal cord,endocrin glands). As a result we have a lot of problems: disbacteriosis,hepatitis,nephropathy,immune deficiency conditions,but the problem of chronic inflammation for a given patient is not solved. Here it’s a time to recollect about hirudotherapy. Biologically active substances containing in saliva glands of medicinal leeches can restore blood circulation in the nidus of inflammation, remove an ischemia of organs, provide capillary tissue exchange and due to it can carry out the transport of chemical drugs into the nidus of inflammation, improve immune protection and regeneration of tissues. In such conditions the using of the same chemical drugs is possible in smaller doses. These factors do not limit the abilities of hirudotherapy to influence the nidus of inflammation. The matter is that in salivary glands of medicinal leeches there are some substances capable to detain the growth of bacterias.One of the most investigated substances is hirudin. In experiments at animals a bacteriastatic and bactericidal action of hirudin has been proved. The main reason of medicinal action of hirudin for example at thrombophlebitis is in its bactericidal property. That’s why it becomes clear that the using of leeches both at aseptic inflammation and at inflammation caused by the bacterial agent helps the organism. The property of a secret of salivary glands of a medicinal leech to penetrate through”demarcacional shaft” of inflammation is deternimed by the action of the factor of penetration-the enzime gialuronidaza. This enzime is capable to unactivate the action of gialuron acid which is the cementing substance for conjunctive tissues.
Such feaeture of hirudotherapy essentially distinquishes it from the other methods of treatment.
Besides the mentioned above effects of hirudotherapy it’s necessary to remember about one such as the irritation of biologically active points influence on reflex zones.It was noticed long ago that leeches prefer to sit on the certain areas of skin which correspond to points of ancient Chinese methods of treatment-needleacupuncture. In result of hirudotherapy we receive the effect in treatment not only due to action of biologically active substances of leeches' secret,but also by means of influence on reflex zones.
For example at the treatment of hypertonic disease biologically active points of occipital and cervical area are used and the influence of these points gives anaesthetic,vasodilating and hipotenzive effects.The other action of leeches is blood taking.One leech exhausts from 5 to 10 ml of blood..Bleeding lasts for some hours(about 12-24 hours) and the patient loses about 20-30 ml of blood.Thus due to influence of 5 leeches simulteneously the patient loses 100-250 ml of blood and this way of blood taking has unquestionable advantages before taking blood from veins. Taking blood from the area connecting with the ill organ lasts for about an hour. Thus, it is creating conditions of a stable and lasting many hours drainage and venous unloading of the given area,in the certain area there usually is an improvement of microcirculation,the nutrition of tissues,cellular exchange, venous stagnation is usually liquidated and the ischemia of organ is usually eliminated.After a treatment course consisting of 5-10 procedures using from 4 to 10 leeches a good clinical effect is marked.At the cardiovascular pathology leading to decompensation of blood circulation(ishemic heart disease, intimate defect) the leeches appointing to the area of a liver authentically reduce increased arterial pressure, leads to reducing the stagnation in the liver,to improvement of lung ventilation and unloading of heart. The effect comes in a result of a direct hipotenzive and anticoagulating action of hirudin and in not a smaller degree due to reducing of peripheral resistance. At diseases of cardiovascular system hirudotherapy plays a special role.It is easy to find an explanation for this taking into account its above mentioned properties.Besides it is necessary to note the ability of hirudin to influence on blood clotting. The liquid condition of blood and its clotting is provided by functional interation of two systems of the organism:clotting and anticlotting.The anticlotting system supports blood in liquid condition,protecting it from clotting,the second one provides protection from bleeding at infringement of integrity of blood vessels. For the patients with ischemic heart disease, hypertension,for old people,for patients with diabetes the main problem is atherosclerosis of vessels and as a result-angiopathy;atherosclerosis is nothing that infringement of integrety of blood vessels.which provide and activate the system of clotting.In a result one of the most terrible displays of diseases of heart and vessels is the thrombosis of arteries in the vital important organs. The output of thrombosis are the infarction of heart,brain,lungs brinding sometimes to lethal outcomes. Stimulation of fibrinolitic activity and anticlotting system of blood at such diseases,oppression of formation of trombs,and reducing of viscosity of blood are necessary both with medical purpose and for preventive maintanance of ischemic conditions. The mechanism of oppressing activity of hirudin on thrombin is investigated. Hirudin blocks the action of thrombin and the last one losing its properties,doesn’t promote the transition of fibrinogen into fibrin.Besides the secret of saliva of a medicinal leech blocks an anitial attachement of thrombocytes and completely supresses their aggregetion on a surface of collagenus. Thus,the secret of salivary of a medicinal leech influences on cellular and plasma factors of blood clotting.In researches of many authors it is marked that after the assignment of leeches there is a normalization of separate parameters of coagulogramme-at anitial combination of hyper coagulations the anticoagulating system is activating and on the contrary becomes more active. Similar effect was not received even when we use such widely known anticoagulants as heparin and aspirin. We should add the lipotropal effect of enzymes of salivary glands of medicinal leeches which consists in the ability to influence on blood lipids. At the beginning of the century some scientists expressed the assumption that the development of atherosclerosis can be prevented by applying medicinal leeches. In 1984-1989 it was experimentally proved that at long introvenous introduction of a secret of salivary glands of medicinal leeches to the rats which were in the condition of a strongly expressed atherosclerosis the last ones had reduction of lipids in abdominal and lung arteries.
It’s well known that the lipoproteids of low density and lipoproteids of very low density promote the development of atherosclerosis,but the lipoproteids of high density play the role of the protective antisclerous factor. At ishemic heard disease there is a redistribution of cholesterol in different classes of lipoproteids. The quantity of it raises in lipoproteids of low density and in lipoproteids of very low density being reduced thus in lipoproteids of high density. The patients of this group have authentic increase of the level of common lipids,triglicerids,cholesterol in arterial walls. Many authors engaged in this problem mark the authentic reduction of triglicerids and cholesterol in blood after several session of hirudotherapy. It allows to draw a conclusion that lipotropic ensymes secret of salivary of medicinal leeches may be used at atherosclerotic defect of vessels irrespective of primary localization of atherosclerosis. Probably the effect of “rejuvenation” which may be noticed after hirudotherapy-the appearance of shine in eyes, the improvement of skin elasticity,the appearance of flush,the disappearance of the mask of tiredness on patients faces,a vigorous kind of patients. It's possible because in this case we deal with the mechanism of increasing of vascularization of skin and internal organs. Probably, due to the action of girudin and gialuronidaze(the factor of penetration)it is improving not only blood circulation is organs-targets,but in other organs and tissues due to the best capacity of cappilary-tissues exchanging and so on. It promotes the reduction of swelling,the dissolution of the organized blood-clots,cosmetic effect. The using of leeches promotes the increasing of local immunity as well.
Diseases of vessels, heart, chronic nonspecific diseases of lungs leading to heart and liver incompetence may be treated with hirudotherapy. At heart incompetence and chronic lung’s heart the stagnation in a big circle of blood circulation takes place and this fact leads to functional liver incompetence. The unloading of a big circle of blood circulation at hirudotherapy(the improvement of blood circulation in region),the action of lipotropic enzymes,the reduction of a hypostasis of liver-all these factors promote the improvement of patients health due to the complex influence of leeches secrets on organism.
Hirudotherapy as we see should be regarded not only as a preventive maintenance,but also as a method of treatment at ishemic heart disease, insult and other vascular
pathologies,at diseases of exchange,at endocrine diseases,nervous diseases, at all inflammatory diseases and so on. As a result it’s necessary to note that the succers of hirudotherapy depends not only on biological properties of leeches secret but also from the experience of a doctor and joint actions of a patient and a doctor
KEISTIMEWAAN MINYAK LINTAH POWER SARAWAK
Minyak lintahberfungsi sebagai antikoagulan iaitu pencair darah.Minyak lintah boleh melancarkan perjalanan darah dengan hanya menggosok minyak tersebut di bahagian tertentu badan.Minyak lintah ini adalah hasil campuran beberapa jenis herba terpilih dan pati lintah.Diproses secara tradisonal untuk mengekalkan keaslian produk.Minyak lintah boleh menghilangkan kebas2 tangan,sengal-sengal badan,leguh-lenguh badan.Enzim yang terdapat pada air liur lintah mampu memulihkan tisu yang rosak.Minyak lintah ini telah dibaca doa asyiffa bagi tujuan penyembuhan penyakit nyata dan ghaib.
Kegunaan:
Sakit sebelah kiri dan pinggang terasa sengal
Selalu pening kepala
Mata terasa kabur
Selera makan berkurangan
Badan sejuk
Anggota badan yang terseliuhMembesar dan memanjangkan saiz zakar
Menguatkan pancutan mani
Menjaga aliran darah pada bahagian zakar
Mengelakkan ejakulasi pra matang agar tahan lebih lama
Memaksimukan ereksi agar lebih tegang dan keras
Menjadi lebih bertenaga dan tidak mudah tewas
Mengembirakan isteri tersayang
Merangsang seksual daripada bau
Menambah nikmat dalam persetubuhan
Mengembalikan tenaga seksual anda seperti zaman remaja
Memulihkan pesakit stroke
Memulihkan terseliuh
Fakta Menarik Mengenai Lintah
Anda pernah dengar tentang lintah? Tentu sekali dalam bidang perubatan. Lintah pun sekarang makin glamor dijadikan sebagai salah satu cabang perniagaan..Tapi apakah rahsia disebalik lintah sebenarnya? Mungkin dari segi perubatan menggunakan lintah semua sudah tahu. tapi..
Kali ini berbeza kerana ini fakta yang menarik untuk dikongsikan bersama. Kita lihat dari segi biologi dan fakta menarik mengenai lintah ini.
Biologi Lintah
Dalam dunia, didapati 650 spesis lintah yang telah wujud dikawasan paya, kolam, laut dan kawasan berair. Seekor lintah mempunyai kedua-dua jenis organ pembiakan iaitu jantan dan betina. Walau pun begitu, ia tidak boleh membiak secara sendiri tetapi perlu megawan dengan lintah lain untuk membiak. Kebanyakkan lintah memiliki penghisap di bahagian hujung badannya untuk berpegang pada perumah ketika makan. Sesetengah lintah memiliki organ penghisap yang dimasukkan untuk menghisap keluar cecair.
Lintah penghisap darah perlu mempunyai kemahiran untuk makan. Air liur mereka mengandungi bahan bius, bahan anti pembekuan darah dan bahan kimia yang membantu penghasilan bahan kimia melalui tisu setempat. Factor penyebaran ini memecahkan ikatan semen yang mengikat sel bersama dan ia juga menunjukkan sebagai bahan antibiotic yang berkesan. Lintah itu juga mempunyai bacterium Aeromonan hydrophila. Bacteria ini digunakan oleh lintah untuk mencerna darah dan ia sebenarnya menhasilkan bahan antibiotic untuk membunuh bacteria lain yang mungkin menyebabkan pembekuan.
Kajian perubatan terus menemui bahan-bahan kimia yang menarik dalam air liur lintah dari spesis yang lain. Di Amazon, lintah menghasilkan bahan anti pembekuan darah dikenali sebagai hematin. Bahan ini menyerang fibrinogen dan mempunyai potensi sebagai antipembekuan yang berkesan. Pada masa kini, kejuruteraan genetic digunakan untuk menghasilkan hematin dalam kuantiti yang banyak.
Fakta menarik:
1. terdapat 650 spesis lintah
2. lintah terbesar dijumpai berukuran 18 inci
3. kira-kira 1/5 dari sepsis lintah hidup dilaut yang mana memakan ikan
4. lintah mempunyai 32 otak iaitu 31 lebih dari manusia
5. lintah Hirudo mengeluarkan anak dalam kokun dimana lintah itu membawa anak-anaknya diatas perut sendiri. Kadangkala mencapai sebanyak 300 ekor
6. tidak semua lintah adalah penghisap darah.kebanyakkannya adalah pemburu yang memakan cacing tanah dan lain-lain.
7. Lintah Amazon menggunakan kaedah yang berlainan untuk menghisap darah. Ia memasukkan proboscic panjang ke dalam mangsa tanpa menggigitnya
8. Gigitan lintah tidak menyakitkan kerana mempunyai bahan bius
9. Lintah Hirido menyuntik anti pembekuan serum ke dalam mangsanya untuk mengelakkan pembekuan darah
10. Lintah akan mengembang sendiri sehingga kenyang dan jatuh dari mangsa dengan sendiri
11. Lintah akan memgembang sendiri sehingga 5 kali berat badannya
12. Lintah pertama yang digunakan dalam perubatankira-kira pada 1000 sebelum masihi. Kemungkinan ketika India purba
13. Pada masa lampau, orang ramai akan berdiri di tepi tasik dan kolam, bila lintah melekat pada kaki mereka, ia dimasukkan dalam bakul untuk dijual. Pada masa kini, lintah Hirudo merupakan spesis terancam
14. Pakar bedah yang asal adalah seorang tukang dan mereka menggunakan lintah untuk memulihkan apa sahaja penyakit bermula dari sakit kepala ke penyakit gaut
15. Sistem saraf lintah mempunyai banyak persamaan dengan sistem saraf manusia
16. Saudara terdekat lintah adalah cacing tanah
17. Lintah boleh menggigit walaupun pada paha badak air yang tebal
