Excerpt from The Lyme Disease Solution
pp 284-285
Oxygen Therapy: Oxygen therapy involves increasing the amount of oxygen that is available to the body’s cells and tissues, as well as in the bloodstream. Like all harmful microorganisms, Bb bacteria and other tick-borne microorganisms have a difficult time surviving in oxygen-rich environments. On the other hand, when oxygen levels are low in blood, cells, and tissues, Lyme and other TBDs tend to thrive. Because of these facts, a number of Lyme-aware physicians employ various methods of elevating oxygen supply inside the body. These methods include the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ozone therapy, intravenous hydrogen peroxide therapy, and intravenous vitamin C therapy. Of these four, the one that I most often recommend is hyperbaric oxygen therapy because of the clinical research and experience associated with its Lyme/TBDs usage. It also has a long safety record.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been in use since the early twentieth century. It is primarily noted for its ability to help deep sea divers and submarine personnel adjust to the change in atmospheric pressure, and to aid burn victims. However, HBOT has also been found to have many other medical uses, including aiding in the recovery from brain injury, cerebral palsy, stroke, and other neurological conditions. It has also been demonstrated to be effective for helping patients recover from anaerobic (able to live without oxygen) infections, which is generally what Lyme and other TBDs are.
Patients receive HBOT by entering a sealed hyperbaric chamber. Once the patient is inside, the chamber is pressurized to a level up to approximately twice the pressure of the earth’s atmosphere at sea level. This makes it possible for patients to breathe in oxygen at a much greater concentration than normal breathing, thus saturating the body with oxygen. HBOT sessions typically last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. While expensive, HBOT has been very useful, particularly in patients with neurological Lyme symptoms that do not respond to other forms of therapy. It may require twenty or more HBOT sessions to be effective.
An alternative to HBOT that some have found useful is exercise with oxygen therapy (EWOT). In this type of oxygen therapy a person wears an oxygen mask at 10 liters per minute oxygen flow while walking on a treadmill for several minutes. It has been particularly helpful for improving chronic fatigue and stamina.