What is hirudotherapy?
Hirudotherapy is a treatment using medical leeches and preparations from the secret of their saliva.
Indications for treatment
- vascular diseases (hemorrhoids, varicose veins, migraine, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis)
- acute and chronic inflammatory diseases
- diseases of locomotor apparatus (osteochondrosis, arthritis, arthrosis)
- condition involving increased blood clotting (including thrombosis, thrombophlebitis)
- atrophic and degenerative processes, decrease in immunity, metabolic disorders.
Contraindications
- hemophilia and processes
- accompanied by increased bleeding
- anemia (hemoglobin level below 90 g/l)
- severe hypotension, pregnancy, individual intolerance, cachexia.
Possible reactions
- post-application reaction: (redness, swelling, soreness, in the place of the leech attachment. Ointment «Giruda» is used for correction;
- increase in body temperature to subfebrile figures +37,0, +37,3° C;
- weakness, dizziness (reaction is not connected with blood loss, but with the reflex reactions of the organism);
- bleedings, discharge (signs of bleeding may persist for up to 2-3 days, which is associated with a decrease in coagulation properties of blood);
- swollen lymph nodes (associated with increased lymphatic drainage in the area of setting leeches. The reaction is short-term, does not require additional medical interventions);
- in the place of leech attachment there is a possibility of trace reaction occurrence in the form of ribbed skin or hyperkeratosis for up to 2 years. (the reaction is linked with individual characteristics of the regenerative properties of patient’s skin).