Safety:
Cost:
Ways to Administer: a pressurized chamber
Bottom Line: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has potential as a Lyme disease treatment, but the results are often temporary and require further interventions.
Overview
During hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), you sit or lie in a pressurized setting, like a room or chamber, while breathing 100% oxygen for a designated amount of time. As oxygen flows through your body, it kills borrelia and other microbes. This therapy works by creating a high-oxygen environment in the body so that borrelia can’t survive. Research suggests it may also stimulate the immune system and reduce inflammation in certain diseases.
Efficacy
HBOT is reasonable to consider, but in my experience, the results are often transient, and many people need additional therapies. Because of cost and long-term safety issues, I wouldn’t place this procedure at the top of my list.
Safety
I have some safety concerns with repeated exposure to high levels of oxygen for an extended period of time and exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Depending on the pressure ranges used during the treatment, there’s a potential to increase oxidative stress on tissues in the body, and the body can take a bit of a hit because of it.
Cost
Patients often require several treatments to see benefits, which can really add up. Because of cost and long-term safety issues, I wouldn’t place this procedure at the top of my list.
Dr. Bill Rawls’ Treatment Guide
Want to see more Lyme disease treatment ratings? See What Dr. Rawls has to say about popular treatments and therapies in his Lyme Disease Treatment Guide.
Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.
1. Altinel O, Demirbas S, Cakir E, Yaman H, Ozerhan IH, Duran E, Cayci T, Akgul EO, Ersoz N, Uysal B, Kurt B, Yasar M, Oter S, Peker Y. Comparison of hyperbaric oxygen and medical ozone therapies in a rat model of experimental distal colitis. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2011 May;71(3):185-92. doi: 10.3109/00365513.2010