Medicinal leeches were known centuries ago for bloodletting. Despite the passage of years and the emergence of new ways to combat various ailments, leech therapy remains a frequently used method. Its popularity waned with the development of pharmacology but has since returned to favour. In many countries, leech therapy has been approved as an official treatment method, reimbursed, and used for everyday treatment.
Medicinal leeches are parasites that feed on the blood of vertebrates. They can extract 10 to 15 ml of blood during one therapy session. The saliva of leeches contains hirudin – a substance that prevents blood clotting, and histamine, which causes the dilation of blood vessels. It is even said that a leech is an excellent pharmacological laboratory. Medicinal substances from the saliva of leeches help treat various diseases. Until recently, “applying” leeches was not considered an effective treatment method, and few people turned to it. Years of research isolating numerous compounds from leeches’ mucous glands have confirmed leeches’ effectiveness in treating many diseases. In leech therapy, parasites grown in sterile conditions are used. Leech therapy is essentially painless; only after removing the leeches from the skin might the patient experience redness and slight swelling. This raises another question: what are leeches used for?
Leeches for varicose veins
Leech therapy is used as a supplementary treatment or an alternative to pharmacotherapy and surgical treatment in the treatment of varicose veins. It effectively treats venous thrombosis, leg ulcers, and even skin inflammation.
Varicose veins of the lower limbs are thickened, twisted, and diseased sections of veins, palpable under the skin and visible as swollen cords or possibly lumps. They not only look unsightly but also cause severe pain. Varicose veins are caused by malfunctioning valves, which cause blood to stagnate in the vessels instead of flowing freely to the heart. It turns out that leeches are a remedy for varicose veins. However, there is one condition – the therapy with their participation must be carried out at the first stage of the formation of varicose veins. Only then will it be effective.
Leeches affect blood circulation in the body – blood supply improves, tissues are better oxygenated, and capillaries expand, allowing toxins to be more effectively expelled from the body.
Leech therapy in the treatment of varicose veins reduces the feeling of heavy legs and eliminates swelling. The skin is brightened and smoothed, and pain is alleviated.
Leeches and hypertension
A fast and stressful lifestyle, lack of physical activity, obesity, smoking cigarettes, and excessive alcohol consumption are just some of the factors that increase the risk of hypertension. Hypertension can and should be treated. In addition to pharmacological agents, sponges also have a high efficacy in treating hypertension.
The PC-LS found in leech saliva is a regulator of blood pressure. It lowers too-high blood pressure values and raises too-low ones. Furthermore, histamine also helps in treating hypertension by dilating blood vessels.
Leeches for atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease involving degenerative changes in the inner and middle lining of arteries, causing them to harden. The direct cause of the disease’s development is an excessive amount of cholesterol in the blood, which causes the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerosis affects a large part of the Polish population, reducing their quality of life. Symptoms of the disease include rapid fatigue and difficulties with concentration and memory. Detected atherosclerosis must be treated as soon as possible because, untreated, it can lead to stroke or heart attack. Medicinal leeches help in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Clinical studies show leech therapy’s beneficial effect on the lipid concentration level in the human body. In patients undergoing treatment with medicinal leeches, normalization of total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and a reduction in LDL were observed. Compounds injected by leeches into the blood regulate lipid levels and improve the condition of vessels. Substances such as saratin and hirudin counteract the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, dissolve existing ones, and in severe cases of ischemia, orgelase causes the development of collateral circulation and better blood supply to the limbs.
Leech therapy is practically painless, and its effects in treating atherosclerosis are invaluable. Attached to the skin, the sponge numbs the skin, causes vessel dilation, and inhibits the multiplication of bacteria. Patients with atherosclerosis who underwent leech therapy confirm its effectiveness.
Leeches for hard-to-heal wounds
Hard-to-heal wounds are a troublesome problem.
They not only look unsightly but also cause pain and discomfort. Care must be taken not to injure them, which, can be difficult in the case of wounds occurring, for example, on the hands.
Improperly blood-supplied tissues do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, causing delays in the healing process. An infected wound is also a breeding ground for bacteria, driving the development of disease changes and inflammatory processes. Sometimes, the methods of treatment for hard-to-heal wounds do not bring results. Then leeches come to help.
During leech therapy, pain-relieving substances released from leech saliva alleviate the persistent pain that accompanies hard-to-heal wounds. Among the precious components of leech saliva, in this case, bdellins are the most important, accelerating regeneration processes even in complex, long-lasting wounds by inhibiting inflammatory factors and reducing swelling. Leeches also release hirudin into the blood, which prevents the formation of clots, allowing the wound to be better blood-supplied and nourished, speeding up the healing process.
The effectiveness of leech therapy has been confirmed in the treatment of bedsores, ulcers, wounds resulting from diabetic foot syndrome or atherosclerosis, and other wounds caused by accidents and more.
Leeches and lung diseases
Leech therapy is not a panacea for all diseases, but in the treatment of some, it indeed can help. Eglin found in leech saliva shows anti-inflammatory action and is a potent inhibitor of enzymes involved in the pathogenesis of lung diseases, including emphysema as well as thrombotic disorders and other inflammatory processes.
Due to its high efficacy, leech therapy is used as supportive therapy in treating lung and bronchial diseases. In patients who have bronchial asthma and pneumonia who underwent leech treatment, an improvement in health and well-being was observed. However, in leech therapy, common sense must not be forgotten. Acute septic conditions require immediate hospitalization, not the application of leeches.
Leeches and cosmetology
It turns out that leeches can not only cure but also beautify. Substances present in their saliva slow down ageing processes and positively affect the skin conditions. Eglins, which have potent antioxidant and anticoagulant properties, positively impact beauty. Lipids also have a positive effect on beauty. Together with enzymes such as lipases and phospholipases, they participate in the remodelling of the cell membrane phospholipids of skin cells. During leech therapy, antielestase, which slows down the destruction of elastin, thereby delaying skin ageing, is also of no minor importance. It has been mentioned many times that leeches improve skin blood supply due to substances causing blood vessel dilation.
All this means that treatments involving leeches are offered in many cosmetic studios. Some of them use dried and powdered medicinal leeches. There are also creams, gels, ointments, and masks that contain extracts from medicinal leeches.
Leeches and support for the nervous system
Small, at first glance, scary and repulsive leeches can improve appearance and mood. And all thanks to their secretion of endorphins, the so-called hormones of happiness. Numerous scientific studies have confirmed the beneficial effect of leech compounds on the stimulation of nerve cell growth. Leeches provide the body with neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and histamine, which are essential for properly functioning the nervous system.
Due to the beneficial effect of leech therapy on human well-being, it is used in treating neurosis and depression. Effective treatment methods for cerebral palsy in children and diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, in which great hopes are placed, are still being developed.
What else can leeches help with?
The list of diseases in which leech therapy can be applied is significantly longer. Leeches can alleviate a range of complaints associated with:
- stomach and duodenal ulcers;
- sciatica;
- coronary artery disease;
- haemorrhoids;
- rheumatism;
- allergies;
- headaches;
- spinal diseases;
- impotence;
- prostate enlargement;
- certain female diseases.
Leech therapy can help in many cases but can also harm in many others. That is why one should only decide on leech treatment with the involvement of an experienced person who knows leech therapy. There are several contraindications to leech therapy, among which are pregnancy, malignant tumours, advanced anaemia, and too young age.