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● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Lyme Disease
and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Portable Home
Hyperbaric Chambers Treat Chronic Lyme The New Epidemic Lyme disease is epidemic: it is the fastest
growing vector-borne disease in the world. More and more patients are showing
up with chronic forms of the infection, leading to multisystemic illness and
disability that is devastating to the individuals and families suffering from
it. It is increasingly difficult to cure, even with intense regimens of
antibiotics. Recent major articles in
People Magazine, The Washington Post, and Good Housekeeping describe the
debilitating effects of this tricky infection. Many late-stage Lyme patients improve on
antibiotics, but aren’t cured. Many times they don’t get better at all or
they relapse every time they stop the antibiotics. Long-term antibiotics can
lead to serious side effects, such as fungal infections and immune
suppression. Oxygen to the Rescue? Hyperbaric oxygen treatment, either alone or
in conjunction with antibiotics, has been a mainstay of alternative
treatments for lyme for over a decade now.
Hyperbaric oxygen forces oxygen into the tissues under pressure,
flooding cells and helping to kill organisms and assist the immune system
(white blood cells need oxygen in order to kill intruders). Until recently,
however, treatment was only available at clinics, which meant that the lyme
patient had to travel for treatment, often staying in a motel for weeks or
months. The cost was prohibitive.
Although profound improvement often resulted, just as many patients slowly
relapsed over time, probably due to dormant forms of the bacteria multiplying
once treatment ceased. A minimum of 6
weeks and as long as 6 months of daily treatments may be necessary. The cost
of treatment, travel, lodging and food at freestanding clinics means that
most patients pay around $6,00-8,000 per month of treatment.
Most patients do not have the time or money for this. Now, portable hyperbaric chambers are
available to patients for daily use in their homes. These chambers are often called “mild hyperbaric” because they
pressurize to 1.3-1.35 ata (between 10 and 11 feet underwater). More and more
conditions, from brain trauma to cerebral palsy to chronic infection, are
being tested at these “lower” pressures, and they are being found
effective. This is causing the
hyperbaric industry to go through a sea change in their recommended
protocols. Perhaps more is not more. Perhaps less is more. With portable hyperbaric
chambers, there is absolutely no disruption to lifestyle: treatments can be
done in the home, at any time of day or night, for as little or long as
desired, and the patient can sleep in his or her own bed. Most importantly, treatment can be
long-term, which seems to be required for this slow-growing, intracellular,
and refractory organism. Are Home Chambers Effective? Mild chambers pressurize to
about 1.3-1.35 ATA (about 10-11 feet underwater). This is far less than the common protocol used in clinics of
2.5 ata (about 50 feet underwater)—which was established by William Fife in
his original experiments on lyme and hyperbaric oxygen. Is 1.3 enough
pressure to be effective? We think so.
Lyme is a microaerophilic bacterium, one that can survive in small
amounts of oxygen. It dies in air,
for instance. According to Fife, “a
lethal level of oxygen for the spirochete falls somewhere between 30 mm Hg,
and 160 mm Hg.” At 1.3ata 90mmHg to 135mmHg will reach the tissues—likely
killing at least some lyme. Just as
important, the oxygen will help restore the function of hormones and boost
immune function, increasing the metabolic efficiency of every cell in the
body—which is key in lyme disease, because it so disables the body’s
systems. Finally, by adding in other
treatments (such as antibiotics, home heat therapies like saunas and peat
baths, and herbs, vitamins and minerals), one can attack the lyme steadily
and methodically, allowing enough time for the body to heal and gain health,
putting lyme in permanent remission. In fact, 1.3-1.5 ata may be ideal pressures for the body. See the following graph showing oxygen saturation in tissues at varying pressures:
How Does Mild
Hyperbaric Oxygen Work? Lyme disease, like many chronic illnesses, causes a chronic,
debilitating dysregulation of the entire immune and nervous system. Patients suffer from simultaneous
exhaustion and insomnia, they become sensitive to noise, sound, smells, and
light; they react adversely to chemicals; they may even suffer from visual
and olfactory hallucinations. All of this may be treated by mild pressure
hyperbaric oxygen. According to
Ignacio Fojgel, M.D., “The action of pressure and oxygen on the autonomic
nervous system has never been given its due attention. I have been insisting
that many effects of the chambers are dependent on modification in the
autonomic nervous system. Many people sleep during the session or become
relaxed and kind of peaceful. Parasympathetic up-regulation, and/or
sympathetic down-regulation occur.
That is why we sleep during an illness: a relatively high
parasympathetic tone is needed for most healing process to happen.” The Proof is in the
Brain and Blood Mild Hyperbaric oxygen treatments can improve brain
function almost immediately, and can improve the appearance of the blood in
less than an hour. One remarkable
study by Dr. Gunnar Heuser measured brain function by SPECT scan after
treatment:
Finally, we have included a photo of red
blood cells before a 40-minute session in a portable, mild hyperbaric
chamber, as well as an after photo.
No extra oxygen was used: simply pressurizing with air raises oxygen
levels in the air from 21% to 24%, and pushes that extra bit of oxygen more
deeply into the plasma. This pictures
shows that red blood cells, which tend to clump in chronic illness, unclump
after a 40-minute session. When unclumped,
more oxygen is available to the system because the entire red blood cell is
freely moving through the body.
The Future is Bright Chronic lyme disease—the fastest growing
vector-born epidemic, and one of the most disabling chronic infections facing
us today—is gaining national attention.
Treatment with Hyperbaric oxygen via home chambers is also a
burgeoning area of research, and as more and more doctors and patients
experiment with this modality, its profound health benefits will be
increasingly recognized, and treatment protocols refined and optimized. These home chambers provide a valuable
tool on the road to cure for difficult conditions like lyme disease.
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Conditions Treated with Hyperbaric ·
Multiple
Sclerosis and Hyperbaric |
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Coming Soon! …information on: §
Cancer §
Immune Dysfunction DISCLAIMER This information is for informational purposes
only and is not intended to replace the advice of a physician. Anyone who
wishes to embark on any medical program intended to prevent or treat a
specific disease or condition should first consult with a qualified
physician. Medical Director: Rhett Bergeron, M.D. |
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We are committed to providing
information on cutting edge medical therapies for developments in both
conventional and alternative medicine.
This information is provided by, HBOTreatment.com and does not
constitute a medical recommendation. It is intended for informational
purposes only.
Email: info@HBOTreatment.com · Phone: 770-246-4469 |
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