About Ozone Therapy
About Medical Ozone Therapy
What is Ozone
Ozone is a natural gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms, whereas the far more stable oxygen molecule consists of only two. It is the most powerful oxidant available to humans.
Ozone is an effective bleaching agent and a powerful disinfectant, capable of eliminating bacteria and fungi faster than chlorine. Viruses and carcinogenic substances, which are generally unaffected by other conventional chemicals used in water treatment, are also oxidized by ozone. Its deodorizing effect is based on the destruction of harmful odor-producing substances, rather than simply masking the odor itself.
Atmospheric ozone is one of the most important gases in Earth's stratosphere (10–50 kilometers above the ground). Its maximum concentration, reaching up to 1 part of $O_3$ per 100,000 parts of air (approximately 10 ppm), is found in the ozonosphere at an altitude of 20 to 30 kilometers
This ozone layer acts as a filter for high-energy UV radiation from the sun, thereby protecting Earth's biological balance from damage caused by harsh radiation. When this layer is damaged (the 'Ozone Hole'), its filtering effect cannot function.
The first medical application appears to have been the use of ozone to treat gas gangrene in post-traumatic wounds among German soldiers during World War I. A major step forward was the invention of a reliable medical-grade ozonizer by physicist Joachim Hansler (1908–1981). The concept of using ozone in medicine developed gradually over the last century, spurred by the shortage of antibiotics and the potent disinfectant properties of ozone.
World War II caused a setback for German research in the field of medical ozone, as many clinics and laboratories were destroyed by Allied air raids. It was not until the 1950s that clinics began to reopen and research resumed.
The first physician to treat cancer with ozone was Dr. W. Zable in the late 1950s, followed by Drs. P.G. Seeger, A. Varro, and H. Werkmeister. Over the next twenty years, hundreds of German physicians began utilizing ozone in their practices—either independently or as a complement to traditional medical therapy—to treat a wide variety of diseases through numerous applications
Horst Kief is believed to be the first physician to successfully use ozone therapy to treat patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Medical ozone is produced from pure medical-grade oxygen through a silent electric discharge and can be applied in the form of an ozone/oxygen mixture with precise concentrations and dosages.
The concentration range is between 1–100 μg/ml for the oxygen/ozone mixture, at a ratio ranging from 0.05% $O_3$ and 99.95% $O_2$ up to 5% $O_3$ and 95% $O_2$. Because the $O_3$ molecule is unstable, medical ozone must always be produced on-site immediately prior to administration (freshly made)
- Ozone can produce different effects depending on the concentration selected and the method of administration. In medical practice, the most important are the following:
Bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal properties: Ozone is capable of destroying almost all types of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and certain types of early-stage cancer cells. The use of therapeutic ozone concentrations provides a bactericidal effect that indirectly activates the non-specific defense system (activation of phagocytosis, increased synthesis of cytokines-interferon, tumor necrotic factors, and interleukins), as well as components of cellular and humoral immunity. There is reported evidence regarding the partial oxidation of viral receptors, which renders them incapable of viral binding.
Anti-inflammatory: This effect is demonstrated by the ozone’s ability to oxidize compounds containing double bonds, arachidonic acid, and its derivatives, particularly prostaglandins. These biologically active substances are involved in the development and maintenance of inflammatory processes. Furthermore, ozone regulates metabolic reactions in tissues at the site of inflammation and modulates pH.
Analgesic effect: This effect is exerted through the oxidation of albuminolysis products, known as algopeptides. These act on nerve endings in damaged tissues and determine the intensity of the pain response.
Detoxification effect: This effect is revealed in the correction and activation of metabolic processes in liver and kidney tissues, thereby ensuring their primary function: the neutralization and elimination of toxic compounds from the organs.
Activation of oxygen-dependent processes: Ozone dosages, however low, induce an increase in free and dissolved blood oxygen content, accompanied by the rapid intensification of enzymes that catalyze the aerobic oxidation of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, leading to the formation of substrate ATP energy. Of particular importance is the activation of mitochondrial H+-ATPase, which is responsible for the coupling of respiratory processes and oxidative phosphorylation that drives ATP synthesis
Optimization of the pro- and antioxidant system: This is considered one of the primary effects of systemic ozone therapy, manifested through its influence on cell membranes and the balancing of lipid peroxidation product levels with the antioxidant defense system.
Hemostatic effect of ozone: This effect is dose-dependent. The administration of high concentrations for external use causes a pronounced hypercoagulable effect, whereas parenteral administration at low concentrations is characterized by a decrease in platelet and coagulative hemostasis levels, as well as an increase in fibrinolytic activity
Immune-modulating effect of ozone: This effect is based on the interaction with cell membrane lipid structures and is dependent on the chosen dosage