On inci aqueous extract of medicinal leech. Medical leech extract. The right face moisturizer for winter

The site provides background information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

Use of medicinal leeches

Be that as it may, lowering blood pressure by reducing the volume of circulating blood does not solve the underlying problem. It is necessary to carry out treatment aimed at the cause of arterial hypertension.

Hirudotherapy for liver diseases

Hirudotherapy for diabetes mellitus

Hirudotherapy for hemorrhoids

Hirudotherapy for prostatitis

• Suction of blood by leeches. Leeches are specially placed at points so that they help reduce the volume of circulating blood in the prostate gland.
• Reflex impact. Leeches are located at special biologically active (acupuncture) points, which reflexively improves blood flow in the prostate.
• Action of leech saliva components. Biologically active substances improve the condition of the prostate gland.

Hirudotherapy for thyroid diseases

Hirudotherapy for thrombophlebitis

Hirudotherapy for kidney diseases

Hirudotherapy for nerve diseases

Hirudotherapy is used for wide range neurological pathologies:

• Neuralgia, neuritis.
• Vegetative-vascular dystonia.
• Myopathy.
• Previous ischemic stroke.

Hirudotherapy for cellulite

• Destruction of adipose tissue.
• Improving blood flow in the area of ​​subcutaneous fat tissue, excretion harmful products metabolism.

Hirudotherapy for arthritis

Hirudotherapy for cancer

Hirudotherapy in dentistry

• Inflammatory diseases: chronic periodontitis, including in the acute stage, periostitis (inflammation of the periosteum), alveolitis (inflammation of the alveoli). After the first session, many patients feel better, pain and swelling decrease.
• Neurological pathologies of the maxillofacial area: neuropathy of the trigeminal nerve, neuralgia of the trigeminal, glossopharyngeal nerve.
• Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome – rare disease, which manifests itself in the form of repeated paralysis of the facial muscles, swelling of the facial tissues, upper lip, folds on the tongue.
• Disease salivary glands: chronic sialadenitis (inflammation of the salivary glands), sialadenosis (a disease that is accompanied by enlargement and dysfunction of the salivary glands).

Hirudotherapy against acne

Hirudotherapy for obesity

Hirudotherapy during pregnancy and lactation

Hirudotherapy: history, benefits (thrombolytic, bactericidal and other effects), indications for use, leech extract in cosmetics, cultivation of medicinal leeches, doctors' opinion - video

Hirudotherapy (leech treatment): description, benefits, indications, effects, opinion of a dermatocosmetologist - video

Possible harm (contraindications)

• Allergic reaction to leeches. It can occur both on live leeches and on products that contain their extracts. This condition is rare and can sometimes be very severe. If the patient has had an allergic reaction to leeches once, further hirudotherapy is contraindicated.
• Large hemorrhages under the skin. They occur particularly frequently in some areas, such as the eyelids. Therefore, it is not recommended to place leeches in these places.
• Entry into the wound infections. During a bite, a leech releases substances into the wound that destroy pathogenic microorganisms. Infection most often occurs due to the fact that the patient does not take good care of the wounds or comb them.
• Enlarged lymph nodes. Hyaluronidase, an enzyme present in the saliva of leeches, “reveals” hidden foci of infection. Particles of pathogenic microorganisms settle in the nearest lymph nodes. Normally they should be neutralized there, but sometimes lymph node does not cope, inflammation develops in it, it increases in size.

• Pregnancy.
• Hemophilia, hemorrhagic diathesis, any conditions accompanied by decreased blood clotting.
• Wasting (cachexia).
• Severe anemia – a drop in hemoglobin level in the blood to less than 100 g/l.
• Allergic reaction to leeches.
• Mental illness, epileptic seizures, severe mental agitation.

Do they place leeches at home?

Home hirudotherapy: is it possible to apply leeches yourself?

Is hirudotherapy used in children?

• Medical leeches in childhood must be used with great caution. The child must be constantly under the supervision of a doctor.
• In newborns, one leech is usually used. With age, their number increases to 1-3. In older children and adolescents, the number of leeches is closer to that used in adults.
• Usually, no problems arise with the use of medicinal leeches in children under 3 years of age. As the child gets older, he begins to understand what is happening to him and may react violently negatively to the procedure. The task of the hirudotherapist is to find a common language with the child.
, disorders of the digestive system.

Hirudotherapy (leeches), gymnastics, baths, microenemas in the treatment of prostatitis - video

Many people know what hirudotherapy is, although they perceive treatment with leeches as exotic. A relatively new area of ​​using leeches is hirudocosmetics. He talks about how cosmetics based on medicinal leech extract affect the skin. CEO CJSC “Biocon – Laboratory of Natural Cosmetics” Dilyara Kayumovna SAMIGULLINA.

About the use of leeches in medicine

Only one of the approximately 400 species of leeches is suitable for use in medicine - the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis). Hirudotherapy has a centuries-old history, and studies that have been conducted all this time prove that the enzymes produced by the leech have a healing effect in many diseases. In addition, when using leeches to treat specific diseases, patients gradually normalize their metabolism and activate protective forces body.

Today, the medicinal leech is the only representative of the fauna included in the Pharmacopoeia and equated to a medicine. Modern science, unlike the first hirudotherapists, has detailed information about the composition of the secretion of the salivary glands of leeches, its effect on individual systems and organs, as well as on the human body as a whole.

Treatment with leeches is also notable for the fact that it does not cause complications, does not have negative side effects on the human body and has only isolated contraindications (blood coagulation disorders, persistent decrease in blood pressure, pregnancy, individual intolerance).

However, many people are distrustful of this method, often due to a dislike for the leeches themselves. That is why today medicines and cosmetics are created based on biologically active substances (BAS) produced by medicinal leeches. The leech salivary gland extract contains about 80 active components: enzymatic complexes and proteins that cannot be created artificially are of particular value.

Effects of leech extract on the skin

At the end of the twentieth century. scientists from France, Russia and Ukraine conducted a number of studies aimed at studying the effect of biologically active leech on metabolic processes in the skin. It has been proven:

• leech extract actively affects protein, fat, water-salt metabolism in the skin;
• under its influence, the synthesis of DNA and protein in human skin cells increases, proliferative processes are stimulated, and the content of water-soluble protein increases significantly.

For skin, especially aging skin, these effects cannot be overestimated. The beneficial effect on fat metabolism is to increase the amount of skin lipids and increase its resistance to harmful influences environment. In addition, due to the action of biologically active substances in the skin, blood microcirculation significantly improves. Elasticity blood vessels is restored, microthrombi are resolved, and the tissues receive oxygen, which is a unique and only catalyst for the restoration and renewal of all types of metabolism.

Hirudocosmetics - a rare but popular product

In 1990, scientists from the Biocon company were the first to develop and introduce a method of using biologically active medicinal leech in cosmetology. Tests of hirudocosmetics were carried out by NPO Cosmetology (Moscow). The moisturizing effect of Biocon cosmetics increases the hydrant properties of the skin up to 42.4%. Skin elasticity significantly improves (according to elastometry, by 6-8%). A powerful anti-inflammatory effect of creams has also been recorded. These processes would be impossible without the secretion of the leech, which provides a significant qualitative and quantitative improvement in blood circulation in the skin.

As already noted, hirudotherapy has very few contraindications. Likewise, hirudocosmetics cannot be recommended only for people with dilated blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. Allergic reactions, associated with individual intolerance to cosmetic components, are also extremely rare.

The latest development of Biocon specialists is the HirudoDerm cosmetic line, which includes four programs of daily and course skin care for various cosmetic problems. In fact, it is on the border between cosmetology and dermatology, because... not only corrects the condition of the skin, but also restores its impaired functions. As part of HirudoDerm cosmetics, medicinal leech extract is combined with modern active medicinal components - the effect of these components is enhanced by the action of leech extract, which facilitates the penetration of substances through the epidermal barrier of the skin.

Today, leech extracts are used primarily in medicines Oh. As for cosmetics with medicinal leech extract, they are produced by literally only a few manufacturers, because... The leech is listed in the Red Book and its fishing is prohibited. Leech extract is a rare, natural and very expensive raw material. At the same time, the success of hirudocosmetics on the market is obvious and it has turned out to be very tempting for many companies. Currently, a number of manufacturers produce cosmetics with medicinal leech extract, thereby violating the rights of the Biocon company, which has patented a method for isolating and using pure medicinal leech extract as a dietary supplement in cosmetics. In addition, only our company has a closed-cycle technology for the artificial cultivation of leeches and uses it at its biofactory in Donetsk (Ukraine) - this guarantees the purity of our raw materials. Even abroad there are no such technologies: in Germany and France, leech is grown under natural conditions in very small quantities.

Hyrudocosmetics are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. According to the results of surveys conducted by our company, consumers in relation to cosmetics with leech extract are divided into three groups approximately equal in volume. The first part relates very well to such cosmetics - often this medical workers, pharmacists and people in general who know about the healing properties of leeches used in folk medicine. The other third treats leech extract in cosmetic products indifferently, like any other element. And finally, the third group is people who do not like either the leech itself or cosmetics based on it. Therefore, the main idea of ​​​​promoting our cosmetics is to inform people about beneficial properties leeches and through this in increasing loyalty to the leech as a unique active component.

“The centuries-old history of the successful use of medicinal leeches for preventive and therapeutic purposes indicates that it is undeservedly forgotten in our time. Of course, in the age of aspirin and nitroglycerin, the mention of leeches can bring a smile. The younger generation of doctors knows about them only by hearsay. But it seems that it is unreasonable to consign to oblivion the centuries-old experience of the positive effects of hirudotherapy. Of course, giving a patient a pill is much easier than giving leeches, and less troublesome, but...” (G.I. Nikonov)

The second part of the story about the International Center for Medical Leeches. Today we will talk about the production of medicinal and cosmetic preparations based on biologically active substances isolated from medicinal leeches, as well as from leech extract.

1.
The saliva of medicinal leeches is a balanced complex of biologically active substances. The photo shows a model leech and tools for collecting saliva.

2.
The leech is clamped head up in special scissors-vice and the precious saliva is sucked out using a tube. During this operation, the leech does not die, but it also receives little pleasure.

3.
The work of collecting saliva is completely manual. The saliva is literally sucked out.

4.
If we briefly list the main advantages of a balanced complex of biologically active substances in leech saliva, we will get the following list: this complex ensures the normalization of protein and lipid metabolism in the skin, improves blood microcirculation and lymphatic drainage, increases the supply of oxygen to tissues, stimulates local immunity, antioxidant activity, and the elimination of foci of inflammation , skin pigmentation disorders, has a protective effect against aggressive environmental influences, stops the aging process, blocks the effects of fatigue factors, improves skin elasticity and preserves cellular moisture.

5.
The leech withstands photography.

6.
A concentration of leech saliva is added to cosmetics. Biologically active substances of medicinal leech in combination with starch polysaccharides, Chinese rose milk, vitamins A, E, F and C, olive, grape seed, peach, shea butter, lotus, bamboo, water lily, oat, cornflower and D-panthenol extracts, intensive moisturize and tighten facial skin, nourish, tone, restore natural regeneration, increase skin turgor and elasticity.

7.
This is how, under artificial conditions, a leech works for the benefit of humans.

9.
Work moment.

10.
For breeding leeches and producing cosmetics, specially prepared water is used, which is purified and settled in special tanks.

12.
About one hundred different ingredients are used to produce cosmetics.

13.
In addition to saliva extract, the leech itself, or rather its extract, is also added to cosmetics. To do this, it is first dried at a low temperature and briquettes like this are obtained.

15.
And add it to specially prepared water.

16.
The resulting mixture will be the main component of the cosmetic product.

17.
First, the powder is mixed by hand.

18.
Then, for thorough mixing, the mixture is poured into jars...

19.
...and loaded into a special centrifuge.

20.
After mixing and filtering, a pure leech extract is obtained, which is the main component in the production of cosmetics.

21.
Biologically active substances of medicinal leech in combination with starch polysaccharides, Chinese rose milk, vitamins A, E, F and C, olive, grape seed, peach, shea butter, lotus, bamboo, water lily, oat, cornflower and D-panthenol extracts, intensive moisturize and tighten facial skin, nourish, tone, restore natural regeneration and increase skin elasticity.

24.
The cost of cosmetics based on leech extract varies greatly depending on the amount of extract and the components added. The most expensive type of cosmetics is made based on an extract from leech embryos. One tube can cost about 45,000 rubles.

25.
Various imported fragrances are added to cosmetics to give a pleasant smell.

26.
General view of the laboratory. All production is semi-automated, many operations are performed manually by employees.

31.
Installation for filling and sealing tubes.

34.
The date of manufacture is also indicated here.

37.
Finished products.

38.
If you want to get full treatment when using medicinal leeches, do not try to save money by buying them at the market or catching them in a pond.

39.
Before placing a leech, make sure it is medical grade. It is more reliable and safer to use leeches grown under artificial conditions in Biofactories that have a license from the Ministry of Health and a certificate of conformity issued by special authorities.

40.
A couple of working points.

41.
Ilya took photographs, I gave out commands.

Some information about leech placement:

First of all, having chosen a place to place the leeches, it must be carefully prepared. Remembering that the leech is very sensitive to odors and chemicals, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the staging areas, leaving no opportunity for odors to scare off the leech, and for pathogens on human skin to infect the patient. The patient will feel a slight tingling sensation - this is the leech beginning to bite through the skin. The time of the beginning of the act of blood sucking is determined by the appearance of wave-like movements or rhythmic contractions of the leech’s body. The act of bleeding, depending on the place of application, can last from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Having eaten its fill, the leech disappears on its own. Used leeches are immediately destroyed by dipping them into a 3% chloramine solution. Thus, leeches are a one-time use medicine. Bleeding wounds after a leech bite should be treated with iodine and a sterile bandage should be applied with a large cotton swab. It must be large, because blood oozes from the wound for quite a long time (from 6 to 36 hours). There is no need to be afraid of this, you just need to monitor the condition of the tampon and, if necessary, replace it with a fresh one. Blood loss from placing one standard leech ranges from 3 to 8 grams.

In writing the text, materials were used from the book “The Vampire’s Kiss”, authors: Nikonov G. I. and Titova E. A. and the book “Secrets of Hirudotherapy” by D. G. Zharova.
Many thanks to Ilya Varlamov and his lens for the wonderful macro photographs and to Alexander uralbear for organizing the shooting.

Hirudotherapy has a rather long history. For about two thousand years, bloodletting was considered the most effective method treatment of many ailments, among which the central place was occupied by diseases caused by cardiac and vascular pathology. By releasing a certain amount of blood from the patient, it was possible to stop the attack and thus help the person. However, a puncture or cut in a vein in those distant times was a real surgery, which could only be performed by a qualified specialist. The use of leeches turned out to be a simpler and fairly affordable way to treat diseases (and not only heart diseases) by extracting “unnecessary” or “bad”, as was considered in the Middle Ages, blood.

Dislike for the “exotic”, which some people consider a leech, makes many patients completely reject hirudotherapy, although others, on the contrary, love it very much.

A little history

By calling the leech a real living pharmacy, many scientific doctors thereby recognize its unique medicinal properties. The reputation of this scary-looking worm-like animal has been formed over many centuries. Scientists who thoroughly study the path of the leech, how remedy, claim that the use of the "live needle" or "live syringe" for bloodletting, as the leech was later called, began in Ancient India and represents one of the directions of Ayurveda.

posing of leeches, engraving, 19th century.

The leech was used by the “father of medicine” Hippocrates, the Roman physician Galen, it was used by the great scientist Avicenna (Ibn Sina), the best healers of antiquity treated all diseases with its saliva and, thus, it quietly but safely reached the Renaissance. The most widespread use of hirudotherapy occurred in the 17th-18th centuries; leech was used for tuberculosis, gonorrhea, etc. In general, under different and very distant pathological conditions.

By the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, ideas about many things began to change and the leech was forgotten for some time. In Russia, the famous doctor M. Ya. Mudrov was actively involved in the introduction of hirudotherapy into medical practice.

In the mid-19th century, the leech gradually faded into the background and began to be considered a past stage in medicine, although bloodletting still leads among others therapeutic measures, but is used for slightly different purposes and by other methods. Meanwhile, the famous surgeon N.I. Pirogov, having his own convictions on this matter, continued to use these worms to stop bleeding, for fractures, tumors and other surgical diseases. Especially, the leech turned out to be useful during Crimean War, in which N.I. Pirogov was a participant (and the chief surgeon of Sevastopol).

However, oblivion did not last long and at the end of the 19th century the study of this animal began seriously. A substance that prevents blood clotting (anticoagulant) was isolated from the leech extract, and an enzyme (hirudin) was obtained from its saliva, thanks to which the leech has a therapeutic effect. This was in 1884. This is how the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) appeared, differing in its properties from different types worm-like animals living in bodies of water. At the same time, the production of pharmaceuticals based on hirudin.

Until the 70s of the last century, jars with swarming black-brown worms could be seen in outpatient clinics and health centers, although they were placed less often. Hirudotherapy remained a priority in rural areas, where advanced technologies at that time did not reach, or, conversely, in large scientific centers where eminent scientists worked who did not change their views on hirudotherapy (therapist G. A. Zakharyin, ophthalmologist V. P. Filatov). The scientific development of bdellotherapy truly began in the second half of the 20th century.

Return of the medicinal leech

The new birth of hirudotherapy falls on difficult times for Russia and the former republics of the USSR - the “dashing 90s”. The industry, including the pharmaceutical industry, is in decline, but it needs treatment. So we remembered folk remedies and alternative methods of treatment. To give new life to hirudotherapy, people who were especially active and knowledgeable in this regard began to create special “farms” for raising unique animals. Over time, these small “farms” grew into large certified biofactories that supply entire regions with live anticoagulants, which now allows people who are well versed in this method treatment and able to handle the medicinal bloodsucker.

Meanwhile, the rapid development of hirudotherapy in the 90s of the last century is explained not only by the decline of the economy and the emergence of various farms of all stripes on this basis. By that time, considerable experience had been accumulated in medicine. The influence of many synthetically obtained medicines on the human body with long-term use. It turned out that:

• A very common anticoagulant, heparin, sometimes causes complications in the form of necrosis of subcutaneous fat;
• Antibiotics lead to the development of candidiasis;
• Hormonal drugs have a lot of contraindications, among which are indicated.

In short, different drugs obtained chemically give their own side effects: allergic reactions, disruption of the vital functions of individual organs and entire systems, sometimes very severe, so scientists increasingly began to lean towards unconventional methods treatment (where possible), one of which (and the best) is hirudotherapy.

Hirudotherapy is currently used quite widely, because leeches have again received the right to participate in the healing process along with traditional methods treatment.

Properties of saliva in which it is found a large number of biologically active substances (BAS) can be used independently or to complement other measures, primarily as for the treatment of cardiovascular pathology.

In the secretion of the salivary glands of the leech, except hirudin, which has an anti-clotting effect, contains a very important enzyme - hyaluronidase, dissolving hyaluronic acid, which, in turn, accumulates around the source of inflammation, protecting it. After the process subsides, hyaluronic acid"cements" connective tissue, creating partitions that impede lymph and blood circulation, as well as reducing the functional abilities of tissues and organs. Hyaluronidase loosens these bridges, clearing the way for the movement of blood and lymph, which improves tissue nutrition and restores organ function, therefore, it can be used to influence adhesions. Taking into account the property of hyaluronidase, gynecologists often, using hirudotherapy, achieve positive results in the treatment of infertility, the cause of which was formed in fallopian tubes adhesions.

In addition to hirudin and hyaluronidase, the secretion of the salivary glands includes other compounds of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates that have high biological activity ( histamine-like substance, prostaglandins, prostacyclins, platelet adhesion inhibitor, platelet activating factor inhibitor... and many other biologically active substances). It should be noted that not all components of the secretion secreted by a leech have yet been discovered and studied, that is, for scientific research Scientists have a large field of activity left in studying the properties of this small predator.

The secret is in her secret

A medicinal leech has a good understanding of human skin; it itself is able to find areas responsible for the functions of certain organs, but real professionals involved in natural therapy do not allow it such “liberties.” Her behavior is regulated by a specialist who knows the location of active points– he himself places the worm directly at the place of “work”. The leech, having attached itself to the designated point, takes a little blood (approximately 10 ml, but especially voracious ones can suck out 15 ml) and at the same time introduces biologically active substances (BAS) contained in its saliva into the wound, which act both locally and with the blood flow carries them to the organs in need of help.

It should be noted that biologically active substances act not only in affected areas, they have an effect on the body as a whole:

1. Accelerate the movement of blood through blood vessels and lymph through lymphatic vessels;
2. Reduce (hirudin increases blood fluidity);
3. Slow down;
4. Prevents the formation and helps dissolve existing clots;
5. Improves microcirculation;
6. Helps saturate the blood with oxygen;
7. Normalize metabolic processes;
8. Improve tissue nutrition;
9. They have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect;
10. Stops spasm of cerebral, coronary and other vessels;
11. Reduce;
12. Promote the disappearance and resorption of infiltrates;
13. They increase the body's resistance to adverse factors, including infectious ones, and improve appetite and sleep.

It is obvious that the effect of the secretion secreted by a leech on the body is multifaceted and varied. We will return to the diseases that these predators treat and to the contraindications, but it should be noted that, having weighed the benefits and harms of treatment with leeches, the benefits will undoubtedly outweigh. The wound made by this animal never festeres even when attacked by wild leeches when swimming in a dirty pond (the bactericidal effect of the secretion), in addition, the water in which the animals are kept begins to acquire bacteriostatic properties.

However, before starting detailed description all the advantages of this type of annelid, you should make important note. Although cases of infection with viral hepatitis and HIV during hirudotherapy did not seem to have been recorded, but in order to prevent troubles and mental anguish for the patient (what if I could become infected with something?) the animal must be destroyed after use. This means that each patient is treated with his own leeches; like syringes, it is better not to borrow them from a neighbor after he has already been injected. And one more point (it worries many) is why there should be different leeches for each patient: I don’t even want to think that an individual used to fight hemorrhoids will be reused to treat stomatitis. The patient must be confident that this is the first time a predator has tasted human blood. and this blood is his own.

Where to look for leeches?

leech farm

There is no certainty that we managed to convince the reader to be treated only by a naturotherapist (hirudotherapist) and, for sure, there will be people who study hirudotherapy on their own, ready to solve problems on their own at home - you just need to find medicinal leeches. As mentioned above, medicinal animals are “produced” in special biofactories, which must comply with all the rules for the cultivation and maintenance of high-quality worms of this genus, which must be confirmed by a certificate. Manufacturers offer their “products” wholesale and retail medical institutions, pharmacies, individuals.

When choosing a remedy for hirudotherapy at home, you should be careful. Small specimens offered at low prices (50 rubles or less) may have been swimming in a nearby pond yesterday. These are wild leeches - they will not provide a therapeutic effect, but the money will be wasted.

If you really want to, you can buy leeches at the pharmacy, although not all pharmaceutical establishments sell them. You will have to “get on the phone” or get information on the Internet (there is plenty of it there). The main thing for the reader to know is that he is buying a high-quality medicinal leech that has medicinal properties.

The benefits and harms of leeches and hirudotherapy

Advantages of a predator

And now, as promised, we will weigh the benefits and harms of treatment with leeches and try to provide more detailed information about what diseases these small predators treat.

Ringed worms represented by this species (medicinal leech) solve many problems in the treatment of various pathological conditions. In its favor, we can cite a list of actions that it has when attached to human skin:

Based on this, let's try to list scope of application of medicinal leech, the main task which consists of the treatment of vascular pathology:

1. (the name of the disease more familiar to patients is hypertension), leeches are especially effective for hypertensive crisis, they lower blood pressure well and quickly “restore order” in the circulatory system;
2. Vertebro-basilar insufficiency (VBI), vertebral artery syndrome;
3. Cardialgia of various origins;
4. Conditions after suffered a heart attack myocardium;
5. cerebral and coronary vessels;
6. against the background of varicose veins and chronic thrombophlebitis;
7. Conditions after heart transplantation, however, in Russia in such cases the leech is not used, but in some countries of Western Europe (England) it is among mandatory procedures;
8. , anal fissures, .

Hirudotherapy is also used for diseases:

• Gastrointestinal tract - chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, gastric and duodenal ulcers, pancreatitis, but here I would like to make a small digression: many naively believe that bdellotherapy can cure viral hepatitis (B, C, etc.). Unfortunately, this is not the case, so you shouldn't place too much hope on it;
• Bronchopulmonary system (bronchitis, bronchial asthma);
• Kidney (glomerulonephritis, chronic renal failure, post-traumatic complications).

Small black-brown worm-like predators that prefer an aquatic habitat are even used in such areas of medicine as:

1. Traumatology(bone fractures, chronic osteomyelitis, bruises, hematomas, bruises);
2. Mammology(lactostasis, acute mastitis);
3. Dermatology(furunculosis and other pustular diseases of the skin and subcutaneous fat)
4. Otorhinolaryngology(vasomotor rhinitis, sinusitis, chronic otitis media, Meniere's disease, stopping nosebleeds);
5. Ophthalmology(macular edema), supporters of the use of hirudotherapy for the treatment of eye diseases argue that a leech can help not only cure, but also diagnose some diseases, replacing expensive imported FA equipment (fluorescein angiography);
6. Neurology(osteochondrosis, neuralgia of various kinds, including trigeminal nerve).

Leeches are used to combat diseases of the human reproductive system. Hirudotherapists believe that the participation of leeches will be useful in the following cases:

It may seem incredible, but the use of hirudotherapy in dentistry also takes place. However, the information is still fragmentary; the authors of the methods conducted experiments on themselves and claim that with the help of these animals it is possible to treat inflammatory diseases oral cavity caused by pathogenic microorganisms, bleeding gums, caries and other pathological conditions.

Leech also helps cosmetologists, it promotes rejuvenation and healing of the skin, the disappearance of acne and other defects caused by inflammatory processes. The use of leeches in cosmetology led to the creation of new cosmetics intended for skin care (hydrocosmetics of the Biocon series). We do not undertake to judge the effectiveness of the cream and other products based on leech extract (more precisely, the extract of the salivary glands of this animal), containing up to 80 types of biologically active substances (enzymes), which we have not yet learned how to create artificially. However, our topic is diseases of the cardiovascular system and their treatment, and it is better to obtain information regarding these drugs on the pages of specialized sites.

Video: what do leeches treat?

Contraindications and disadvantages

Meanwhile, with all the advantages of the leech, it also has disadvantages. The list of contraindications is short, but they exist. This:

1. Hemophilia ( hereditary disease, sex-linked - affects men), in which a person has reduced blood clotting due to the absence or deficiency of factor VIII (hemophilia A, more common) or IX (hemophilia B);
2. Thrombocytopenia of various origins;
3. Acute disorders cerebral circulation(especially hemorrhage);
4. Acute infectious diseases;
5. (pronounced);
6. Pregnancy;
7. Individual intolerance.

Particular fear, a feeling of hostility and even disgust, of course, are not contraindications, but are considered significant shortcomings, since even one cannot overcome this barrier. brave people. Having persuaded such a patient to undergo hirudotherapy, then he will have to be treated for stress, so it is better not to convince him: if he can’t, he can’t. Such people can only use cream, tablets and ointments with hirudin.

One should also not place special hopes on bdellotherapy in terms of curing incurable diseases or conditions that require specific therapeutic (or surgical) measures. Still, this method of treatment is better considered as an adjunct rather than as a primary one. And it is advisable to consult with your doctor.

Responsible step

Having decided to independently undertake treatment at home using such unsightly in appearance and in best case scenario animals that do not cause disgust, a person must learn the basic rules, which we will remind you once again:

• Thoroughly study the indications, find out if there are any contraindications and prepare for possible reactions(itching, urticaria);
• It is better to buy a leech at a pharmacy or from a trusted manufacturer at a higher price than to chase a cheap product (it may turn out to be of poor quality and not capable of providing a therapeutic effect);
• Learn the rules for keeping animals at home so that they remain healthy and can be used for treatment;
• Familiarize yourself with the schemes for placing leeches in relation to your disease;
• Do not treat the whole family with one batch of leeches (everyone may have their own diseases, including viral ones);
• It is extremely undesirable to place the same specimen even for yourself, but in different places far from each other (the oral cavity, the area around the anus - how can they be combined?) - it will take a long time to treat the bacterial infection;
• Repeated use of the same individual in the same patient and in the same areas is possible no earlier than after 2 weeks (preferably 3);
• Do not try to cure every disease without exception, e.g. viral hepatitis“C” (bdellotherapy cannot solve it, but other problems can be acquired);
• Before starting treatment you need to pass general analysis blood and it is very advisable to do so (perhaps the patient does not know everything about himself);
• During hirudotherapy, try to avoid physical activity.

Like these ones simple rules must be observed so that the treatment does not turn into trouble. However, it doesn't matter It’s better to talk to specialists and your doctor.

So, let's start treatment

Having purchased a batch of healthy predators that meet all requirements, being confident in their medicinal properties, you cannot immediately place them in tap water, it often contains chlorine, and animals can die. Pure spring water or well water is best. But where can I get it? You should worry about this in advance. As a last resort, for medical “tenants” it is also suitable tap water, but it must first sit in an open container for several days so that the chlorine concentration decreases. Leeches need to change the water every 3 days. Keep “live syringes” in spacious glass containers (regular two- or three-liter jars in which cucumbers are preserved).

The number of procedures and the number of individuals participating in the treatment process will depend on the patient’s condition, however, fast treatment and there is no need to calculate the minimum consumption of “material”. Judge for yourself:

1. You need to start treatment with a minimum number of individuals (2 - 4 to 6 pieces - max), because it is not yet known how the body will react to a new type of exposure - an allergic reaction to biologically active substances contained in the saliva of a predator is possible;
2. If the first procedure went well, depending on the application area, the number of individuals can be increased to 10;
3. First (if everything goes well the first time) you need to conduct 3-4 sessions in a row (every day);
4. Then – 3 procedures every other day;
5. The last 3 – 4 sessions are carried out with an interval of six to seven days (for example, the patient performs hirudotherapy on Fridays - that’s 3 Fridays);
6. The entire course of treatment is 10 sessions.

If necessary (according to the patient’s condition), the course of hirudotherapy can be repeated. This can happen in the interval from 2 weeks to a month after the last procedure of the first course. If the patient planned a repeat course with the animals that he acquired at the beginning of treatment, they were used and had time to get enough blood, then the water containing the leeches should be changed daily. Before forcing the leech to be treated again, you need to lightly sprinkle it with salt so that the blood comes out of the animal’s stomach, then wash the worm thoroughly (“over-salting” is not allowed - the animal will die).

Schemes for placing leeches

Considering how many diseases a leech treats, it will not be possible to list all the staging schemes even with a strong desire. However, there are many biologically active points, the main ones are presented in the image on the right, and we will give more detailed examples relating to the heart and blood vessels:

I would like to hope that short description The reader will not perceive hirudotherapy as instructions for the use of medicinal leeches. Self-treatment requires a more in-depth study of the issue (indications, application schemes, contraindications, setting technique, selection and maintenance of animals, handling of them).

Creams, tablets and ointments based on hirudin

This section is intended for people who experience panic at the sight of a medicinal product of animal origin, but want to try own body healing properties leech extract. Pharmaceutical forms based on biologically active substances contained in leech saliva do exist: creams, gels, balms, tablets and ointments with hirudin, which thin the blood, prevent the formation of blood clots, relieve swelling, pain and fatigue. These drugs are mainly used for varicose veins, thrombophlebitis,:

1. Popular cream “Sofya” for varicose veins lower limbs;
2. Foot cream – “Leech extract”;
3. Cream-balm with leech extract;
4. Body gel "Girudovazin";
5. Body balm "Girudox";
6. “Piyavit” capsules (dry leech powder).

In any case, if the patient wants to buy an ointment (gel, cream, balm) at the pharmacy, then it is enough for him to say that he needs a leech extract or a medicine for varicose veins with hirudin. Most likely, he will be offered several options for medications for external use. By the way, treatment varicose veins venous vessels of the lower extremities, gels and ointments with hirudin are well combined with the use of compression hosiery.

There are also more serious drugs with hirudin, which are administered intravenously in a hospital setting. under control - "Lepirudin", For example. These drugs are intended to prevent thromboembolic complications; their use requires special caution and is not available to patients for use on their own initiative at home.

Synthetic analogues of hirudin “Girulog” and “Girugen” have also not yet been found wide application in Russia: they are quite expensive, and besides, pharmaceutical forms intended for oral administration are just being developed. Therefore, the medical medicinal leech will be with us for a long time. As they say, cheap and cheerful.

Video: hirudotherapy in the “School of Health” program

Today, the medicinal properties of the medicinal leech (Hirudo Medicinalis Officinalis) are beyond doubt among representatives of science and medicine, and people’s interest in hirudotherapy is constantly growing. This is quite justified, since leech saliva contains more than 80 biologically active substances, which together have a positive effect on the body. Leech is recognized as a “pharmaceutical mini-factory” that produces a balanced complex of biologically active substances that have a multifaceted positive effect on humans. The result of this effect is cleansing, healing and rejuvenation of the body.

Only one of the approximately 400 types of leeches is suitable for use in medicine - the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis). Hirudotherapy has a long history, and studies that have been conducted all this time prove that the enzymes produced by the leech have a healing effect in many diseases. In addition, when using leeches to treat specific diseases, patients’ metabolism gradually normalizes and the body’s defenses are activated.

Today, the medicinal leech is the only representative of the fauna included in the Pharmacopoeia and equated to a medicine. Modern science, unlike the first hirudotherapists, has detailed information about the composition of the secretion of the salivary glands of leeches, its effect on individual systems and organs, as well as on the human body as a whole.

Compound

Hyaluronidase and collagenase– enzymes that increase the permeability of tissues and walls of the smallest vessels (capillaries) and facilitate the penetration of various substances into the body. Hyaluronidase and collagenase also have a pronounced bactericidal and even bacteriostatic effect, that is, they stop the growth or have a detrimental effect on most pathogenic microorganisms.

Hirudin - a blood thinner with an anticoagulant effect. Entering the bloodstream along with leech saliva, it immediately interacts with the enzyme thrombin, forming an inactive complex with it. Hirudin, as it were, distracts thrombin from its main function and thus slows down the blood clotting process. Compared to many medications, used in medicine to slow blood clotting and prevent thrombosis, hirudin is much more effective and safer.

Destabilase - like hirudin, it belongs to the category of enzymes, its main property is the ability to dissolve already formed blood clots. Intravenous administration purified destabilase preparation in the experiment leads to the dissolution of the blood clot. It is the presence of destabilase in leech saliva that explains the unusually high effectiveness of hirudotherapy for thrombophlebitis. In addition, the liposomal nature of the destabilase complex ensures active transport of biologically active substances directly across the cell membrane.

Bdellins are high-molecular proteins, the most important property of which is the ability to inhibit (suppress) the enzymes trypsin and plasmin.

Eglins - protein compounds that, in their biochemical action, are inhibitors of chymotrypsin, elastase and some other human enzymes. The presence of these high-molecular protein compounds in leech secretions determines the pronounced anti-inflammatory activity of leeches and preparations made from them. Bradykinins - help increase the phagocytic index and phagocytic activity of human leukocytes. These polypeptides determine the anti-inflammatory effect of leeches. The data presented allowed scientists to conclude that at present there is no drug similar to leech extract that has the ability to have a complex positive effect on the inflammatory and vascular process of any etiology and localization.

Apyrase - an extremely important enzyme in the saliva secretion of leeches. It determines its anti-sclerotic effect. Apyrase increases the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase, as a result of which the level of total cholesterol and low-density beta lipoproteins in human blood decreases. Modern research confirmed that these substances contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. It is this action that explains positive action both live leeches and preparations with leech biologically active substances on patients with various manifestations of atherosclerosis.

Apyrase has some ability to increase the body's tolerance to glucose, that is, it has a preventive effect in cases of predisposition to diabetes.

Enzymes such as elastase and triglyceridase. The main effect of these enzymes is to stimulate protein metabolism. This is why medicinal leech extract is quite successfully used in cosmetic creams.

Effects of leech extract on the skin

Substances contained in the saliva of leeches increase the permeability of tissues and capillary walls, have a bactericidal effect, have an anticoagulant effect on the blood, facilitate the penetration of other substances into the body and stimulate protein metabolism.

At the end of the twentieth century. scientists from France, Russia and Ukraine conducted a number of studies aimed at studying the effect of biologically active leech on metabolic processes in the skin. It has been proven:

Significant qualitative and quantitative improvement in blood circulation in the skin. Leech extract improves blood circulation throughout all vessels of the dermis, even very small capillaries. Blood carries more oxygen to skin cells and nutrients, all metabolic processes in the skin improve.

Positive active effect on protein, fat and water-salt exchanges in the skin.

Increased DNA and protein synthesis in skin cells.

Leech extract promotes the penetration and distribution of other active components of the cream in the deep layers of the skin.

For skin, especially aging skin, these effects cannot be overestimated. The beneficial effect on fat metabolism is to increase the amount of skin lipids and increase its resistance to harmful environmental influences. In addition, due to the action of biologically active substances in the skin, blood microcirculation significantly improves. The elasticity of blood vessels is restored, microthrombi are resolved, and tissues receive oxygen, which is a unique and only catalyst for the restoration and renewal of all types of metabolism.

Hirudotherapy has very few contraindications. Likewise, hirudocosmetics cannot be recommended only for people with dilated blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. Allergic reactions associated with individual intolerance to cosmetic components are also extremely rare.

from 5 to 15%