Did you know that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help the immune system?
The subject of immunity is a hot topic today due to Covid-19. How do you optimize the functioning of your immune system? Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (AKA HBOT) increases oxygen levels in tissues. Increased tissue oxygen levels inhibit the growth of bacteria and also kill bacteria.¹ The increased oxygen also inhibits toxin production in some bacteria.² HBOT increases the ability of white blood cells (neutrophils and macrophages) to kill foreign invaders.
Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy prevent or speed up the recovery from Covid-19? I haven’t seen any studies on prevention, but there is an interesting study, albeit a small one, that demonstrated the effectiveness of HBOT on aiding in the recovery from Covid-19. We know that one of the worst effects of Covid-19 is the lowering of oxygen levels in the blood. The study found that increasing oxygen levels via HBOT helped patients recover.³
We also know that Covid-19 is an enveloped virus, meaning that it has an outer coating. HIV is another enveloped virus. HBOT has been used with great results in HIV. HBOT increases ROI (reactive oxidative intermediates), which break down the viral coating, killing the virus.
This article is not a recommendation to seek out HBOT as a treatment for Covid-19 in a private office. Non-hospital clinics are not equipped to handle Covid-19 patients. HBOT can be another great tool in your immunity toolbox, along with diet, exercise, proper sleep, stress reduction and appropriate supplements.
For more information or to schedule a hyperbaric oxygen therapy appointment, call (800) 394-8340.
- Edwards, Melissa. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Part 2: Application in disease.(J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2010; 20(3): 289–297) doi: 10.1111/j.1476-4431.2010.00535_1.x
- Schechter, Robert. Is oxygen an antibiotic? The Lancet, Correspondence| Volume 352, ISSUE 9139, P1552-1553, November 07, 1998
- Naval Specialty Medical Center Program Team. Demonstration report on inclusion of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treatment of
COVID-19 severe cases. wwwihausa.org
