HBOT therapy is a safe oxygen-based medicine that helps patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism. The treatment hyper-oxygenates the body and stimulates processes to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, brain metabolism issues, and behavioural problems.
This article will review the benefits of HBOT therapy in these conditions, keep reading…
Understanding ADHD and Autism
Before we move on with the discussion, let’s understand the ADHD and autism conditions.
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a series of conditions that leads to repetitive behaviours, social skills challenges, and difficulty in non-verbal communication. These are neuro-development issues that severely hamper the social communication and interaction skills of the child. The signs and symptoms related to the disease may be first detected in three years of birth. The child may face complicated stomach problems, weird behavioural patterns, and find it hard to communicate their issues to even parents.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a behavioural, mental, and neuro-development health issue that causes highs of energy, impulsivity, hyper-fixation, etc. These behaviours are usually age-inappropriate, pervasive, and confusing.
Parents can observe signs of ADHD in the first few years of birth only; 6-12 years. However, many cases of ADHD improve symptoms as they grow. If the child is detected with the issue at a young age, then they may experience challenges in the long term.
Currently, the exact reason for ADHD and Autism is unknown. We don’t have a dedicated treatment as well, which is why assistive treatments are used.
Understanding Hyperbaric Therapy
What is HBOT therapy beneficial for ADHD and autism?
When we are normally breathing air, such as right now, we are inhaling 21% oxygen from the air at normal atmospheric pressure. Our body inhales this oxygen and carries it through red blood cells only. This means any site inside the body that is experiencing inflammation or injury receives oxygen through blood flow only. But, at the time of an injury, blood flow is diminished, which is why oxygen delivery is poor. This means healing is slow.
With hyperbaric therapy, the patient sits in a chamber and inhales 100% oxygen at a pressure higher than normal atmospheric pressure. Higher ATM helps our body to transport oxygen via bodily liquids like cerebral spinal fluids and plasma. As a result, the diseased sites and oxygen-deprived regions receive proper oxygen.
Due to this, healing processes accelerate, and many other processes are triggered to improve the entire body’s condition. These changes have a long-term impact on the body and don’t reverse once the patient is outside the chamber.
How Does HBOT Help Relieve ADHD and Autism’s Symptoms?
In the case of autism and ADHD, hyperbaric therapy helps improve cognitive processes and comprehensive blood flow of the body. This leads to a series of therapeutic processes, which help eliminate ADHD and Autism symptoms.
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Behavior
HBOT therapy helps improve behavior in the case of ADHD and autism.
For example, in a trial, 18 children with ASD were included for the hyperbaric therapy. These children were assessed based on Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-Community (ABC), Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), and Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI). After HBOT treatment, these children experienced an improvement in cognition and inflammation. This reduced behavior problems and improved communication. These children were able to interact via verbal and non-verbal communication.
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Neuro-Inflammation
It is known that both in the case of autism and ADHD, neuro-inflammation is an underlying cause of issues. This is because when brain cells are inflamed, it leads to cerebral hypoperfusion. As a result of this, blood circulation is limited in diseased and deprived areas, which means a low oxygen supply.
These oxygen-deprived areas cause problems like communication impairment, attention issues, and social interaction issues.
HBOT offers proper oxygen to the brain, which decreases inflammation and improves cognitive functions of the brain.
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Mitochondrial dysfunction
People with autism and ADHD experience mitochondrial dysfunction. This means that the mitochondria are not receiving proper oxygen and not working properly. Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and mitochondrial dysfunction means lower energy levels and other issues.
HBOT delivers oxygen to mitochondria in abundance, which improves processes. This reduces mitochondrial issues and relieves associated symptoms, such as low energy and confusion.
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Oxidative Stress
When our body is producing more ions than it can dissolve, oxidative stress occurs. This oxidative stress hampers many functions in the body. It also damages our cells, and overall causes inflammation throughout the body.
Since Hyperbaric therapy hyper-oxygenates the body, you may think it also increases oxidative stress. However, when offered for a particular (Suggested) time span, HBOT triggers enzymes that allow the reduction of oxidative stress. This reduces metabolism problems and other related issues in autistic children.
Conclusion
Hyperbaric therapy is an FDA-approved treatment for many illnesses, such as decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, and gas gangrene. Many other health ailments are treated with therapy (along with assistive treatments) to improve symptoms, such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.
However, before receiving Hyperbaric therapy for off-label treatments, take physician’s advice for a comprehensive plan, including other assistive therapies as well.
