Ozone-Oxygen Therapy
Ozone is simply a highly energetic and reactive form of oxygen. Its name is from Greek origins meaning “to smell” since there can be a characteristic odor from this colourless gas. Since its discovery in 1840, anecdotally, several million treatments by ozone therapy have been performed worldwide up to 2012. European countries along with Russia and Cuba have been pioneering the use of this approach in medicine for several decades.
There is a negative thought on the word “ozone” as it pertains to the ozone layer in the sky and as a potential hazard to the lungs if inhaled in large quantities. People do not realize that ozone is an indicator for pollution and not a cause.
The use of ozone for health purposes is much different, controlled, and has a growing list of positive benefits when used appropriately. In progressive water treatment facilities, for example, ozone is applied for the treatment of drinking water as a safe and non-chemical means to kill potentially harmful microbial agents (i.e. bacteria, fungus, viruses, parasites, etc.)
While ozone is the main focus of treatment, medically it is always found along with higher amounts of pure oxygen ranging from 95-99% oxygen to 1-5% of pure ozone gas. Consequently, most believe this treatment approach should be more appropriately termed as “ozone-oxygen therapy” (OOT).
The medical use of ozone-oxygen therapy is also gaining momentum in cancer plus also in the treatment of other diseases & health conditions. Research suggests a benefit for treating the unwanted side-effects from conventional treatment which includes for radiation complications and burns, osteonecrosis, wound healing, and infections. There is data demonstrating this treatment can have direct properties in various cancer models (i.e. anti-cancer), immune-system effects (i.e. cytokine modulation), metabolic effects (i.e. improved antioxidant defenses), protective effects on tissues, and may also assist in making cancers less aggressive by helping to restore low oxygen environments (i.e. tumor hypoxia). This is why groups of healthcare providers and researchers believe that ozone-oxygen therapy has a place along with chemotherapy and radiation protocols since a low oxygen tumor environment may make such cancerous cells more resistant to standard treatment. The same also appears true for alternative or complementary-based treatments as well (i.e. vitamin C Intravenous). Patients with below normal red blood cells (i.e. less hemoglobin) may have a greater benefit with ozone-oxygen therapy.