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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.
Oxygen to the Rescue?
Hyperbaric
oxygen treatment (HBOT) has been a mainstay of alternative treatments for
lyme for over a decade now. HBOT
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 treatment
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 1.3-1.5 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 1.3 ata 90 mmHg to 135 mmHg 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
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—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 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. These pictures show 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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