Post-COVID Syndrome Treatment by Medicinal Leeches

Post-covid syndrome is a consequence of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), in which up to 20% of people who have had a coronavirus infection suffer from long-term symptoms lasting up to 12 weeks or longer.

The virus enters through the olfactory cells directly into the brain, damaging its main structures of the limbic system, hypothalamus, cerebellum, respiratory and thermoregulatory centres. One of the main cranial nerves, the vagus one, is damaged and the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the autonomic nervous system is disturbed. The sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system begins to dominate. Further, complications appear in the form of impaired coordination of movements, dizziness, palpitations, panic attacks, sleep disturbance. Cognitive functions of the brain are disturbed, absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, increased fatigue, depressive mood, unreasonable anxiety are observed.

The virus multiplies well in the walls of blood vessels, damages them, which is accompanied by a sharp violation of blood clotting. It causes the so-called viral vasculitis or endothelitis. A large number of microthrombi appear that block blood vessels. Organs with very intensive blood circulation, the brain, heart, kidneys, thyroid gland, gonads.

When a medicinal leech is applied, the leech substances enter the bloodstream. The saliva of the medicinal leech contains hirudin, a substance that thins the blood and enhances the microcirculation of tissues or organs, restores lymphatic and venous drainage.

One of the substances of the secretion of a medicinal leech is orgelase – an enzyme that promotes the formation of new capillaries (small vessels), which accelerates the resorption of oedema, smoothes the inner walls of blood vessels for normal fluid flow, which is very important for microcirculation in patients, and in healthy tissues. This is unique an enzyme that restores the intima of blood vessels, the analogue of which is not known to modern medical science.

In addition to traditional hirudotherapy, hot wet chest wraps according to Kneipp or Zalmanov, diaphragmatic breathing exercises, inhalations with fir balm, drinking herbal bronchopulmonary preparations are used.
The use of a pharmaceutical or medical leech allows several times to reduce the time of the course of the post-covid syndrome, normalize neuro-endocrine disorders, and significantly reduce ischemic and toxic manifestations of brain damage that affect its cognitive abilities.