Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can play a significant role in helping people maintain their health and prevent the negative effects of aging.
Premature aging can result in a decreased quality of life and a shortened lifespan. It is caused by many factors, including the effects of environmental stresses and insults to the body. The most common and obvious ones are alcohol, tobacco and drugs, as these substances exert a tremendous aging effect due to the progressive chronic wounding of the body. Along with age also comes the increased risk of developing diseases such as dementia, heart disease, and arthritis.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help to heal and repair damaged cells. HBOT can boost metabolism, and counteract low oxygen levels that lead to slow-moving cell activity and oxidative stress throughout the body. It also helps to grow new blood vessels in tissue promoting healthy body function. Research has shown that it can also help to improve the efficiency of hemoglobin in transporting oxygen around the body; improve blood flow by helping to keep cell membranes flexible; suppress inflammation; and detoxify and fight infection by destroying bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that thrive in low-oxygen environments.
In addition to the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in many medical conditions, HBOT is gaining widespread recognition for its success in improving a wide range of cosmetic concerns. Regular treatment is believed to increase skin elasticity and to stimulate collagen production. This can improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and scars. Plastic surgeons often prescribe the therapy to enhance recovery from reconstructive surgery as increased oxygen leads to the creation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) promoting healing and faster recovery times.
In his book, The Oxygen Revolution, Dr. Paul G. Harch described repeated insults of brain and neurological tissues as areas of low blood flow and low oxygenation, which cause decreased neurological function. Most commonly, this decreased neurological function leads to the premature aging diagnosis we call dementia. Dr. Harch calls HBOT a “generic drug for repair of brain wounds.” The stereotypic chronic brain wound typically responds well to hyperbaric oxygen treatments. What Dr. Harch and others have shown in the past thirty years is that these premature aging wounds can be repaired for improvement neurologically, cognitively, behaviorally, and emotionally and in turn decreasing diseases associated with aging including heart disease and arthritis.
In 2004 at the 12th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine, Dr. Harch showed evidence that the primary site of action of HBOT is on the DNA of cells. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in many instances acts like a stimulant or promoter that activates gene sequences that code for growth and repair hormones.
At the Nardella hyperbaric center, patients coming out of the hyperbaric oxygen chamber have stated that they are feeling a fresh dose of life. Patients have remarked that they are feeling younger and refreshed with improved energy and clarity after completing this treatment.
Reference
The Oxygen Revolution. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: The Groundbreaking New Treatment. Paul G. Harch, MD. 2007
