Harmony with Nature: Herbal Treatment and Leech Therapy in Healing Liver and Bile Duct Disorders
The largest organ in our body, weighing up to 1.5 kg, is the liver – the primary digestive gland that performs complex functions such as metabolism, storage of substances, and the production of bile to facilitate the efficient processing of fats.
The liver plays a vital role in heat production, detoxifying harmful substances from the body, regulating blood sugar levels, and storing excess glucose. It regulates blood clotting and essential biochemical processes in the body, controlling protein metabolism and producing/storing proteins.
The liver filters blood, removing bilirubin and remnants of red blood cells. Filtered bilirubin is transported with bile through hepatic and bile ducts to the duodenum or gallbladder and eventually expelled through the intestines, undergoing antiseptic processes. In cases of liver and bile duct parenchymal tissue complications, some bilirubin may remain in the blood, partially depositing on duct walls.
High bile concentration in the gallbladder can lead to bilirubin crystallization, forming stones that may enter the gallbladder through ducts. Factors contributing to this include infection, viruses, alcohol abuse, improper diet high in fats, and extensive medication with toxic effects on the liver. Liver function disorders can result in various conditions such as cholecystitis (calculous and acalculous), biliary dyskinesia, hepatosis, cirrhosis, hepatocerebral dystrophy, cholangitis, tumors, etc.
Preventing and treating liver and bile duct diseases involve measures to prevent bile stasis, address metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, especially constipation, and infectious foci. Lifestyle adjustments, therapeutic exercise, sufficient outdoor activity, and proper nutrition (frequent small meals) are part of the approach. Physical activity impacts bile secretion, while increased oxygen delivery enhances liver blood supply. Conserving liver function involves managing bile evacuation and regulating bile formation. Treatment is generally conservative, and surgery may be considered for complications of biliary stones and if conservative measures prove ineffective. Conservative treatment focuses on facilitating bile evacuation and regulating bile formation.
Diet should restrict cholesterol-rich foods(processed food), animal fats, proteins, flour-based dishes, and products rich in extractive substances. Meals should be consumed at least 4-5 times a day. The diet should be rich in diverse vitamins, especially ascorbic acid, supporting liver function and metabolic processes.
Herbal treatment (phytotherapy) meets modern medical requirements. Infusions of medicinal plants influence overall metabolism and the nervous system, intensifying metabolic processes while reducing symptoms of neurosis and overactive autonomic nervous system function.
Under the influence of infusions, the metabolic function of the liver improves, bile composition enhances, bilirubin and cholesterol concentrations decrease, and the balance with bile acids normalizes. This facilitates fat digestion in the intestines, activates pancreatic lipase, and positively influences the gastrointestinal tract's activity, promoting better evacuation and antiseptic effects.
Due to the vitamin complex in medicinal plants, infusions significantly impact liver vitamin function, K-vitamin metabolism, mineral salt fluctuations in the blood, and osmotic-salt exchange. Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and antibacterial herbs contribute to eliminating infections and inflammatory processes.
Plants with cholagogue effects improve liver bile secretion, enhance gallbladder and bile duct excretory functions, preventing bile stagnation in the gallbladder. Hence, phytotherapy is an optimal treatment method for liver and bile duct diseases. For stone formation, plants with litholytic effects like artichoke, dandelion root, chicory root, creeping cinquefoil root, and dog rose root are recommended.
Plants enhancing gallbladder tone and relaxing bile ducts include valerian root, barberry fruits, immortelle flowers, three-leaved valerian leaves, calendula, chamomile, and cornflower flowers, and fennel seeds. Plants with spasmolytic effects include arnica, valerian, elecampane, coltsfoot, sage, and pennyroyal. Most of these herbs also possess anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
Consider the patient's gastrointestinal condition; include plants with mild laxative properties in cases of constipation (e.g., elderberry bark, rhubarb root, and senna leaves) in optimal-minimal doses. If there's a tendency toward diarrhea, complement the mixture with herbs like St. John's wort, bilberry fruits, and oak bark.
In some cases, corn silk may be added, promoting increased bile secretion, reduced viscosity, specific gravity, and bilirubin content in the blood. However, caution is advised in using strong cholagogue agents, as they may induce hyperfunction and hepatic cell exhaustion. Therefore, herbal infusions should be used under the supervision of a doctor, considering the patient's diagnosis and concurrent pathologies.
Leech therapy (hirudotherapy) in treating liver and bile duct diseases offers powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, and spasmolytic effects. It enhances reparative processes in liver tissues, improves oxygen saturation due to vascular relief, stimulates immune processes, and increases overall resistance.Multiple studies show that combining leech therapy with plants possessing litholytic functions significantly enhances efficacy. Leech therapy not only benefits the affected organ but also positively affects the entire organism. Phytotherapy and hirudotherapy together can effectively address chronic liver and bile duct diseases when other treatments fail.