Could ozone therapy be the latest miracle cure for a range of different conditions, asks Angy Essam Oxygen is the most vital element required for human life, and it is the key to good health. We can survive without water for a week and go without food for a month, but we can only live a few minutes without oxygen, a life-giving and life-sustaining substance. Since the cells of the human body get their necessary energy and vitality from oxygen, a lack of oxygen means a lack of life and a diminished ability to resist disease, leading to the emergence of symptoms of aging and the collapse of tissues. At least that is the theory, one that is now using oxygen or ozone therapy to help tissues reach their optimal condition and release needed energy. Ahmed Timor, head of the first ozone treatment unit in Egypt and a member of the World Ozone Federation, says that ozone can be a powerful therapeutic tool both in curing and in preventing disease. Ozone is a compound made up of three oxygen atoms rather than the more usual two, and as a result it is highly unstable, being quickly turned back into regular oxygen. The gas is produced naturally, notably by lightning and some forms of vegetation, and it gradually rises through the earth's atmosphere to form the so-called ozone layer, which filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. According to Timor, ozone is also one of nature's most powerful disinfectants and oxidants. As long as the body's needs for antioxidants are met, oxygen is able to move from the bloodstream into the surrounding cells. With higher levels of oxygen in the tissues, bacteria and viruses are killed, along with defective body cells, causing healthy cells to multiply more rapidly. Ozone therapy can enhance this process, and it is now used routinely in the treatment of certain cosmetic problems, notably cellulite, scars, spider veins, acne and wrinkles. Forty-six-year-old Madiha El-Kholy, an engineer, suffered from cellulite, and, having failed to find a satisfactory solution, she was tempted to try ozone therapy by a friend. "At first I was scared, as I had never heard about ozone before. But I was fed up with the traditional therapies, so I decided to take the risk. It was the best decision I've taken in my life. After my sixth session of ozone treatment, I noticed a feeling of lightness and a reduction in the swelling." By the end of the course of treatment, typically 12 sessions, El-Kholy's skin had become smoother and more elastic. The cost was relatively low as well at LE80 a session. People who suffer from cellulite and excess weight can undergo ozone therapy, Timor says, the procedure helping to reduce fat deposits around the buttocks, waist and thighs. Skin affected by cellulite also becomes smoother. According to Timor, ozone therapy has been particularly successful in the cosmetic field, and it has a 70 per cent success rate in removing wrinkles after the first month of treatment, making it compare well with more dramatic treatments such as face lifts or Botox. Ozone therapy can also be used to rejuvenate the skin, he says, reducing the depth of wrinkles, causing crow's feet to disappear, and stimulating the sebaceous glands. Fifty-two-year-old housewife Lila Amer used to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and though she tried the conventional treatments these only gave her temporarily relief. "I spent sleepless nights because of the severe pain I felt in my joints despite taking strong pain killers," she recalls. The drugs also affected Amer psychologically, financially and physically. "I felt like a balloon after the cortisone therapy. I wasn't able to recognise myself when I looked in the mirror, not to mention the thousands of pounds I had to pay for the treatment." Amer decided to start ozone therapy, and after a month she began to feel the difference. She says that six months later she had made a complete recovery. "I used to have three sessions a week, each session costing LE100. It was a wonderful experience. The only disadvantage of the treatment is that it is a bit slow, and you need to be patient before you see an improvement." Timor comments that ozone can be an effective treatment of diseases associated with immune-system dysfunction, such as rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis. It can help calm nerves and bring about relaxation and naturally renewed vitality, he says. Repeated treatment with ozone therapy is best, he says, since certain viruses and fungi are more susceptible at certain stages of their development. Some micro-organisms are more resistant than others and require more treatment. Viruses that contain lipids are more sensitive to deactivation by ozone, he claims, listing the herpes, mumps, measles, influenza, rabies, HIV and chronic fatigue syndrome viruses, including Epstein Barr and cytomegalovirus. The body can become deprived of adequate levels of oxygen through improper breathing, polluted air, inadequate nutrition, junk food and stress, he explains, providing an anaerobic environment in which micro-organisms thrive. While healthy cells that have sufficient oxygen and nutrients manufacture an enzyme that protects them against invasion, oxygen-starved cells are unable to produce enough enzymes to fortify their cell walls, thus becoming weaker and more vulnerable. Ozone has been shown to destroy the outer shell of many micro-organisms, thereby penetrating their cell membranes and altering the DNA. Sophisticated organisms, such as human cells, have enzymes that can restabilise disrupted DNA, whereas primitive organisms do not have this protective capability. This is another mechanism by which ozone selectively targets disease-causing micro-organisms and spares healthy cells. Ozone can also be used in the treatment of a number of other diseases, including parasitic diseases such as malaria. It is also used in the treatment of burns, as well as in cases of obesity to restore youth and tight contouring. It can even be used to help athletes in international competitions. While various forms of oxygen and ozone therapy have been in use since the late 19th century, in Egypt this form of therapy did not begin until the late 1990s. "Up until then, our knowledge of ozone was restricted to news of the ozone layer," Timor says, laughing. Timor recommends introducing ozone into the body by taking samples of a patient's blood, mixing this with ozone in special containers that contain a substance to prevent clotting, and then reintroducing the treated blood into the patient. Topical treatments use ozone bags applied to the affected limbs, allowing the gas to pass into affected tissues. Ozone can also be drunk dissolved in water, and patients can have an ozone sauna, entering a special cabin which treats the body with a combination of water vapour, oxygen and ozone. "The only prohibited way of ozone treatment is direct inhalation, which is extremely dangerous," Timor warns. While ozone therapy cannot replace traditional medicines, it can be an effective complementary treatment that has no side-effects. "If it does not work, it will not hurt," Timor concludes.
