5 ms·

Wonder if you can approximate the effect with regular blood donations? It's my understanding that regular blood donations are a good idea for males because it

Wonder if you can approximate the effect with regular blood donations? It's my understanding that regular blood donations are a good idea for males because it helps clear out old red blood cells with iron buildups. Clearing out old white blood cells could be yet another motivator.

chrisBob 12y ago
Are we likely to resume using leaches as a standard medical technique?
- CapitalistCartr 12y ago
  Like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis
  - escherplex 12y ago
    Leechcraft (OEn) to medecine (OFr) and then back to leechcraft? Interesting progression you got there :)
- araes 12y ago
  You joke, but I have a condition where my iron content builds up relatively quickly, and the best thing they've still figured out as a cure is blood letting.
  - chrisBob 12y ago
    I have heard of this, and I think that is probably the only modern reason for blood letting. I think there is a similar condition in people who get frequent blood transfusions.
    - dm2 12y ago
      Apparently they're really good to use when re-attaching a finger, they prevent pooling and release a blood-thinner to prevent clotting.
  - escherplex 12y ago
    These are just nervous jokes following the ongoing demise of antibiotics. But, having to resort to venipuncture for treatment of hemochromatosis must be tough. Hope your phlebotomist also prescribed some chelating agents to reduce frequency of treatment.
    - araes 12y ago
      Luckily they caught it relatively early on because a family member had it, so its been semi-easy to manage.
- dm2 12y ago
  Yes, they have valuable uses in medicine, until we find a better substitute at least. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/leeches.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/leeches.html There is a mechanical leech but it doesn't work as well at the moment and there's no real downside to using real leeches.
sp332 12y ago
"Old" red blood cells? I thought since they didn't have any DNA to repair themselves, they died after a few weeks anyway. Edit: a few months, not weeks. But cells dying faster seems to be related to diseases, not health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell#Life_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell#Life_cycle

chrisBob 12y ago

Are we likely to resume using leaches as a standard medical technique?

CapitalistCartr 12y ago
Like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis
- escherplex 12y ago
  Leechcraft (OEn) to medecine (OFr) and then back to leechcraft? Interesting progression you got there :)
araes 12y ago
You joke, but I have a condition where my iron content builds up relatively quickly, and the best thing they've still figured out as a cure is blood letting.
- chrisBob 12y ago
  I have heard of this, and I think that is probably the only modern reason for blood letting. I think there is a similar condition in people who get frequent blood transfusions.
  - dm2 12y ago
    Apparently they're really good to use when re-attaching a finger, they prevent pooling and release a blood-thinner to prevent clotting.
- escherplex 12y ago
  These are just nervous jokes following the ongoing demise of antibiotics. But, having to resort to venipuncture for treatment of hemochromatosis must be tough. Hope your phlebotomist also prescribed some chelating agents to reduce frequency of treatment.
  - araes 12y ago
    Luckily they caught it relatively early on because a family member had it, so its been semi-easy to manage.
dm2 12y ago
Yes, they have valuable uses in medicine, until we find a better substitute at least. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/leeches.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/leeches.html There is a mechanical leech but it doesn't work as well at the moment and there's no real downside to using real leeches.

sp332 12y ago

"Old" red blood cells? I thought since they didn't have any DNA to repair themselves, they died after a few weeks anyway. Edit: a few months, not weeks. But cells dying faster seems to be related to diseases, not health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell#Life_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell#Life_cycle