Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

Contributed by: Patricia S. Lemer, M. Ed., NCC, Developmental Delay Resources newsletter.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or HBOT, is a treatment mode, during which a patient is entirely enclosed in a chamber and given oxygen to breathe at a pressure greater than one atmosphere.  Both the enclosed chamber and the pressure are necessary for HBOT.  The patient sits in the chamber and relaxes, naps, or even watches a movie or video.  HBO diffuses oxygen throughout the body, even into damaged tissues.  Pressurized oxygen has tremendous healing capabilities.  Oxygen expands and enlarges restricted capillaries and blood vessels in the body, even to the speech and language centers of the brain.  HBOT heals the brain by activating idling neurons, thus enabling cognitive function. Outcomes include improved attention, concentration, and the ability to follow directions, along with a reduction in hyperactivity.  HBOT also improves muscle tone because oxygen increases muscle mass.

Many DAN! doctors have recommended HBOT for their autism patients because HBOT delivers oxygen deep into the tissues of the body where it attacks and kills yeast overgrowth, fungus, mold, and toxic pathogens—all with an intense and short-lived die off, and without a negative effect on the liver.  You may see improvements more quickly than by using antifungals alone.  Treatments typically last one to two hours.  The more treatments, the greater the potential for improvement.  Some see significant benefits with as few as five treatments, although forty to sixty treatments are more common.  HBO chambers vary among manufacturers; some are very large, others portable. An individual assessment by your doctor, including a patient's age, severity of the gut problems, and consideration of other therapies being done simultaneously, determines the proper number of treatments and which type of chamber is appropriate.  Insurance sometimes covers HBOT with a pre- and post- treatment SPECT scan.

Related Sites

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3472266/  This study titled: Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in autism spectrum disorders is authored by Rossignol DA1, Bradstreet JJ, Van Dyke K, Schneider C, Freedenfeld SH, O'Hara N, Cave S, Buckley JA, Mumper EA, Frye RE. This study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of using HBOT for children with autism.
http://www.ihausa.org/   The International Hyperbarics Association, Inc. is an educational and charitable organization focusing on the needs of the hyperbaric community.  As a research institution, the Association networks, grants and facilitates access to hyperbaric patients, fellow doctors, and staff.  As a charitable institution, the IHA grants funding to those in need of hyperbaric therapy.
http://hypertc.com/autism.cfm   The Hyperbaric Therapy Center has enabled a growing number of parents to use Hyperbaric Therapy to help treat their child's Autism.
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/hyperbaric.htm#Encephalic%20Lesions   This web site covers a wide range of topics relating to autism and the use of HBOT.

Books

Textbook Of Hyperbaric Medicine Hardcover by K. K. Jain.
Description: This textbook, has become widely recognized as the best exposition available on the topic of hyperbaric medicine and the wide range of applications of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO).  In addition to explaining the basic principles of HBO therapy, and its application in carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness, the textbook looks objectively and critically at its use in numerous other areas, such as stroke, neurological disorders, traumatology and wound healing, infectious diseases, and many other areas.  With over 2000 up-to-date references and an extensive index, the volume is not just a textbook suitable for those seeking an introduction to this expanding field but also an invaluable resource for specialists.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy  by Richard A. Neubauer (Author), Dpm Morton Walker (Author).
Description:  This book explains how HBOT treatment overcomes hypoxia, or oxygen starvation in the tissues, by flooding the body's fluids with life-giving oxygen.  In this way, HBOT can help people with strokes, head and spinal cord inquiries, and multiple sclerosis regain speech and mobility.

www.centralparknaturopathic.com/autism_and_hyperbaric.pdf  International Hyperbarics Association, Inc. article about autism and hyperbarics.

How mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy works and why it is good for our children (PDF)  by Julie A. Buckley, MD. article that discusses the benefits of lower pressure hyperbaric therapy.

Tools

http://miraclemountain.homestead.com/HBOTManual.html  This web site has a lot of detail about HBOT including a section on autism.
http://miraclemountain.homestead.com/Providers2.html  Listing of HBOT centers by state.

Parent Forums

(Some forums require you to sign in to Yahoo or Facebook to locate forum names.)
Forum Name:  Autism and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/HDOTherapyforAutism/info  Yahoo group to discuss autism and HBOT as it applies to High Dosage Oxygen Therapy (HDOT).
Forum Name:  mHBOT For Autism
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mhbotforautism/info  Yahoo group for those who have purchased or are using mild (mHBOT) or 1.5ATA HBOT in the recovery of their ASD child.