Alleviating Autism Symptoms with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is known to affect 1 in 54 children in the United States alone. These estimates provided by the Centers For Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have prompted the medical fraternity to seek viable treatment solutions that can improve the health condition of patients battling autism-related complications.

How Can Autism Spectrum Disorder Affect Children?

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can have a debilitating impact on the basic cognitive abilities of children. The afflicted children are often known to display the following ASD-related symptoms between the ages of 1 and 3:

  • Gastrointestinal dysfunction.
  • Incoherent speech.
  • Impaired motor skills.
  • Diminished memory retention.
  • Irritable bowel movement.
  • Reduced immunity.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • Repetitive behavior.

A majority of ASD patients are prone to suffer from bouts of gastrointestinal discomfort and neuropathic pain due to inflammation caused by the heightened production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The enhanced level of TNF-a protein in the brain triggers this complication, leading to further deterioration in the patient’s condition.

Early diagnosis of ASD symptoms, along with the initiation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) alongside a new combination therapy, greatly enables autism patients to cope with this disorder in a better manner. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been a source of pain relief for millions for six decades.

What are the Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder?

The process to decode the exact causes of autism occurrence in children is an ongoing process.

However, a few comprehensive studies that were conducted by experts on autism patients have indicated that these cognitive disabilities occur due to reduced blood-oxygen levels in the brain.

Listed herewith are certain risk factors that are known to cause autism spectrum disorder in children:

  • Environmental impact.
  • Prenatal or perinatal complications.
  • Children born to older parents.
  • Genetic disposition.
  • Substance abuse by parents.

 

A Combination Therapy That Can Be Used With HBOT To Alleviate Autism Symptoms:

 A combination therapy conducted by Dr. Nemechek, a prominent hyperbaric expert, to regulate gut microbiota and reduce inflammatory cytokines has provided autism patients with the hope of improving their health condition.

The children in the study group were provided with a combination of dietary supplements of antibiotics with omega-3 and omega-9 to rectify intestinal bacterial overgrowth. In a short period, the ASD patients displayed a visible improvement in their speech patterns, eye contact, and social interaction.

After two years, the researcher confirmed that the health condition of the study group witnessed a definitive change due to reduced brain inflammation and lowered propionic acid in the gut. The patients were known to have resumed a healthier life post their HBOT experience.

A subsequent study conducted by another group of HBOT experts using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reduce brain inflammation in rat specimens yielded promising results.

The research team has indicated that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can significantly alleviate autism symptoms in patients.

Following observations were recorded during the controlled study:

Autism patients typically experience neuropathic pain due to conditions known as hyperalgesia or allodynia. These complications are caused by chronic constrictive injury (CCI) due to the increased production of interleukin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a protein).

The rat specimens that were administered hyperbaric oxygen therapy displayed a considerable reduction in the TNF-a levels as compared to the specimens sans HBOT.

Some of the observations noted during the research have been listed below:

The pressurized pure oxygen that was administered to the rat specimens during hyperbaric oxygen therapy:

  • Low cold and mechanical allodynia.
  • Decreased mechanical hyperalgesia.
  • Controlled the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that affect peripheral nerve alterations.
  • Reduced neuropathic pain.

The above-mentioned results of the controlled study highlighted some credible benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy whilst treating autism-related conditions.

Over time, hyperbaric specialists from prestigious institutions worldwide have relentlessly conducted studies that elaborated on the advantages of HBOT. A few noteworthy observations from these reports have been mentioned as under:

Patients with autism-related afflictions are known to have displayed substantial recovery in their health condition post regular sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The oxygen-rich blood circulation that is boosted to the affected areas of the brain post-HBOT is known to provide notable relief from:

  • Delayed onset of muscle soreness.
  • Indomethacin-induced enteropathy.
  • Complex regional pain syndrome.
  • Ischemia-reperfusion intestinal injury.
  • Acute inflammation.

Currently, the growing popularity of HBOT across the nation has enabled autism patients to choose from a wide array of treatment centers.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be undertaken at a small clinic or a large medical facility. Patients or their caregivers have the option of investing in portable hyperbaric chambers that are easy to install if they wish to avail of HBOT from the comfort of their homes.

The groundbreaking efforts of these top researchers have provided doctors with a remarkable option of using hyperbaric oxygen therapy with the new combination therapy to help patients in alleviating autism symptoms effectively.

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