Have you ever encountered these tiny black blood suckers? In Cebuano, we call it "ALIMATOK". In the ancient times in Egypt, leeches have been used to treat skin diseases and infections, dental problems or any abnormalities that they call it the "Leech Therapy". They secrete peptides and proteins that work to prevent blood clots known as anticoagulants that are used in plastic surgery and other microsurgery. Nowadays, leech therapy is still used for a variety of medical conditions such as circulatory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and even different forms of cancers according to the study.
Interesting, isn't it?
How does these leeches work?
Leeches have three jaws and a hundred of teeth which they bite into the skin and keep the blood from clotting. Believe it or not, leeches can suck up blood 10 times their weight in human blood. (uuggghhh! the cringe!) During plastic surgeries, it says that leeches keep the patient's blood flowing in the damaged area and prevents blood clot so the area can heal properly. In fact, the chemicals made from the leech's saliva is used to create drugs that can treat hypertension, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids.
It also became popular for preserving soft tissues and healing after reconstructive surgeries that affect the nose, forehead, breast, cheek, fingers and toes. It helps the body heals naturally and completely.
It makes me squeamish looking at the these small blood suckers. I remember when I still lived in the countryside, my mom always asked me to help her with the laundry in the river. We never wash our clothes using the washing machine in the countryside instead we go to the river and wash everything there. Leeches are always present in the riverside so I always encounter them when I was a kid and even got bitten by it. They are really slimy, gross and uncomfortable. In fairness to them they don't hurt when they suck up blood because I didn't feel anything on my legs when the leech stuck there until my brother told me that there is a tiny black thing on it. So I guess, this kind of therapy doesn't hurt at all.
In Russia, leech therapy is a typical treatment especially to the people who couldn't afford to spend much money for their medical treatment. Diabetes is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world and leeches can help cure them. According to Health Line, the leech's saliva contains "hirudin" a substance that thins the blood of the diabetic person and keeps it from clotting since diabetics have thicker blood. Researchers have observed positive outcomes of the use of hirudin to treat diabetes.
Demi Moore and Kim Kardasian used leeches to keep their skin looking fresh and younger.
A woman from London Aleksandra Bogatyriova claimed in 2016 thru Daily Mail that she regularly uses leeches to lose weight after having 2 kids. She mentioned that she puts them on her body, her bottoms, toes, face, inside her mouth and her cervix. She leaves the blood suckers for minutes and keeps them in large jars in the kitchen. She assured that they are not painful. AT ALL.
In the Philippines, the leech therapy is not yet used by medical practitioners. But there have been horror stories of mountaineers finding their way in the eyeballs, ears and other body orifices. If you have a phobia to leeches, you have bdellophobia.
Are there side effects?
Yes, absolutely there are. One of the side effects of the leech therapy is that it can cause infection. It carries bacteria to your body as it crawls to the areas that need to be treated. It can also cause anaemia which makes the patients need blood transfusion because of heavy blood loss, and allergic reactions.
