Varicose veins are not treated with leeches

Various plants and methods have been used for thousands of years in the treatment of diseases until the development of modern medicine. Leech is used today in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases as in the past. Breeding farms were established to produce these. These leeches are used in modern health units in the treatment of many diseases.

The main mechanism of action of leech use is that it prevents clotting in the thin capillaries with the coagulating agents they secrete into the environment, and absorbs the blood or residual harmful substances in the environment. Due to these features, it is used in modern medicine such as plastic surgery, microsurgery and in the treatment of chronic wounds.

However, leech therapy can cause very important health problems if not used in suitable patients. Varicose veins treatment of the legs is one of the most common misuses. The main reason for varicose veins is the deterioration of the valves in the veins. If there is no cure for these valves and these varicose veins are removed, the leech absorption of blood accumulated in the varicose veins is zero. In addition, infection can develop due to leech use, and the leg becomes much worse than its current state, and varicose veins are put into a dead end.

Wounds open around the ankle due to severe vein leaks or deep vein occlusion and these wounds take a very long time to heal. In general, leech therapy benefits the healing of wounds in terms of removing waste materials from the wound. However, leech therapy alone does not make sense in the healing of these wounds. The absolute effective method in the treatment of wounds due to vein problems is the use of elastic bandages or varicose stockings.

Therefore, leech therapy should not be used under any condition in the treatment of varicose veins in the legs. Even if the leech absorbs all the blood in the body, it does not benefit the heirs. It even does more harm than good. The most important approach that should be done in people with varicose veins is to reveal the leakage that causes varicose veins with doppler ultrasound and to apply therapies such as surgery, foam and laser. Otherwise, we will not be able to get rid of varicose veins like leeches.

Prof.Dr.ilhan Gölbaşı