Use of Hirudotherapy in Various Diseases and its Benefits

Hirudotherapy (HT) is the application of medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) for therapeutic use. HT involves the attachment of cultured leeches onto the affected areas. Leech therapy involves an initial bite, which is usually a painless bite, followed by the sucking of 5 and 15 ml of blood. Its major therapeutic benefits are not only due to blood sucked during the biting, but also from the various bioactive substances, such as Hirudin, calin, Hyaluronidase, and Histamine-like substances, to name a few. It has been successfully used in plastic and reconstructive surgeries, cardiovascular complications, varicose veins, hemorrhoids and various joint ailments..