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- During a session, live leeches attach themselves to the target area and draw blood. They release the proteins and peptides that thin blood and prevent clotting. This improves circulation and prevents tissue death. The leeches leave behind small, Y-shaped wounds that usually heal without leaving a scar.
www.healthline.com/health/what-is-leech-therapy
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Can leeches be used in plastic surgery?
How do medical leeches work?
What is leech therapy used for?
Mar 22, 2023 · Leeches attach to the skin tissue or skin flap and release a local anaesthetic which reduces pain at the site of attachment. They also secrete a substance that helps to open up blood vessels (vasodilator) and two other substances (hirudin and calin) that work by thinning the blood (anti-coagulant).
What is a leech? There are many species of leech found throughout the world but the medicinal leech, known as Hirudo medicinalis, is the leech used in some hospitals today. This is a blood-sucking leech found in fresh-water ponds and lakes in Britain. When and why are leeches used? Leeches are used in modern plastic and reconstructive
- Overview
- How does leech therapy work?
- Medical applications for leech therapy
- Can leeches help with diabetes?
- Leech therapy for cosmetic use
- Are there side effects?
- Takeaway
Overview
Since the time of ancient Egypt, leeches have been used in medicine to treat nervous system abnormalities, dental problems, skin diseases, and infections.
Today, they’re mostly used in plastic surgery and other microsurgery. This is because leeches secrete peptides and proteins that work to prevent blood clots. These secretions are also known as anticoagulants. This keeps blood flowing to wounds to help them heal.
Currently, leech therapy is seeing a revival due to its simple and inexpensive means of preventing complications.
Medicinal leeches have three jaws with tiny rows of teeth. They pierce a person’s skin with their teeth and insert anticoagulants through their saliva. The leeches are then allowed to extract blood, for 20 to 45 minutes at a time, from the person undergoing treatment. This equates to a relatively small amount of blood, up to 15 milliliters per leech. Medicinal leeches most often come from Hungary or Sweden.
There are several situations in which leech therapy may be used. People who may benefit include those who risk limb amputation due to the side effects of diabetes, those who have been diagnosed with heart disease, and those who are undergoing cosmetic surgery in which they risk the loss of some of their soft tissue. The therapy has also been recommended to treat blood clots and varicose veins.
During a session, live leeches attach themselves to the target area and draw blood. They release the proteins and peptides that thin blood and prevent clotting. This improves circulation and prevents tissue death. The leeches leave behind small, Y-shaped wounds that usually heal without leaving a scar.
Leeches are effective at increasing blood circulation and breaking up blood clots. It should be no surprise that they can be used to treat circulatory disorders and cardiovascular disease.
Chemicals derived from leech saliva have been made into pharmaceutical drugs that can treat:
•hypertension
•varicose veins
•hemorrhoids
The progression of diabetes can cause numerous problems. These problems can lead to vessel diseases that limit or prevent blood from reaching the toes, fingers, hands, and feet. When blood flow becomes severely restricted, the affected tissue can die. This is the leading cause of amputation among people with diabetes. Losing a digit or limb due to complications from diabetes is a major concern for millions of people worldwide.
The most effective way to stop this process is to increase circulation to the affected tissues without the risk of blood clots. Research has shown that leech therapy can play a role.
The Hirudin substance in leech saliva thins the blood and keeps it from clotting. Since people with diabetes tend to have thicker blood, Hirudin can help relieve the pressure on the heart and cardiovascular system by thinning the blood. Researchers have observed positive outcomes in cases where Hirudin has been used for treat diabetes.
A recent case study showed how traditional Unani medicine, which includes leech therapy, was able to help save the foot of a 60-year-old woman with diabetes. Synthetic forms of leech saliva now exist, but researchers have discovered that using as few as four leeches in one session can help reduce the risk of amputation.
Leeches have become popular for preserving soft tissue and promoting healing after facial reconstructive surgery. In both old and new case studies, leech therapy has been shown to increase the chance of positive outcomes in reconstructions affecting the:
•nose
•forehead
•breast
•cheek
•digits (fingers and toes)
Leech therapy is both easy and has a lower risk of side effects than other therapies. However, there are some risks. There’s a risk of bacterial infection, sometimes involving drug-resistant bacteria, so make sure to avoid leeches outside of a regulated environment. For this reason, people who are immunocompromised by autoimmune disease and environmental factors are not good candidates for leech therapy.
If something goes wrong after a round of leech therapy, blood will ooze out of the area that has been treated and the site of the leech bite will not close. Sometimes leeches will try to move to another area of the body where you do not need treatment, causing unnecessary blood loss. On occasion, a person will discover during or after leech therapy that they are allergic to leech saliva. If complications such as these occur, you will know right away and will no longer be a candidate for this treatment method.
It makes some people squeamish to imagine leeches being used as a modern medical treatment. But more and more research is showing that there’s a reason why leeches were relied upon for centuries as an essential part of medical care. As we continue to find out more about the special properties in leech saliva, it may very well be that the treatment ...
- Brian Krans
In plastic and reconstructive surgery, leeches are used to improve blood flow in an area of skin or flap which has a poor blood flow. Leeches do this by removing the clotted blood from the areas where blood has congested e.g. under a flap of skin or a toe or finger. By removing the clotted blood the leech may help to prevent
Leeching, the application of a living leech to the skin in order to initiate blood flow or deplete blood from a localized area of the body. Through the 19th century leeching was frequently practiced in Europe, Asia, and America to deplete the body of quantities of blood, in a manner similar to.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Mar 29, 2018 · Leech therapy — which is also referred to as hirudotherapy — is still used today by many medical professionals. The leech enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the 1970s and has been used with...
Leeches are worm-like organisms which are applied to the wound area. Here, their blood-sucking action is used to increase circulation, improve blood flow and speed healing. Leeches for medical use today are specifically bred under sterile conditions at a leech farm in Wales.
