Multiple symptoms of a seemingly unrelated nature are often misdiagnosed as neurotic but can be caused by immune system dysfunction, which in turn can be caused or aggravated by increase in body contents of Candida albicans and other yeast and fungus organisms. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces levels of yeast and fungus in the body, thereby reducing stress on the immune system, can often bring lasting improvement to patients who have been unresponsive to other types of treatments. This type of illness is increasingly prevalent and usually goes unrecognized by mainstream Medicine.

The immune system, wound healing, and vascular tone are all affected by oxygen supply. Oxygen alone has little direct antimicrobial effect, even for most anaerobes like Mycoplasma infections. It is, however, a crucial factor in immune function. Neutrophils require molecular oxygen as a substrate for microbial killing. The oxidative burst seen in neutrophils after phagocytosis of bacteria involves a 10 to I5-fold increase in oxygen consumption. Here oxygen serves as a substrate in the formation of free radicals, which directly or indirectly initiate phagocytic killing. This endogenous antimicrobial system virtually ceases functioning under conditions of hypoxia. In short, increasing the oxygen level in tissue can allow restoration of white blood cell function and thus the return of adequate antimicrobial action.

The Undersea Medical Society that evaluates clinical applications of HBOT has categorized disorders of which it is or may be useful. CFS patients with chronic bacterial infections are categorized as an adjunctive therapy by the Undersea Medical Society.

11-26-2003 Source: Journal: J of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol. 11(3) 2003, pp. 37-49

Authors: EIke Van Hoof, Clin Psych; Danny Coomans, PhD; Pascale De Becker, PhD; Romain Meeusen; Raymond Cluydts, PhD; Kenny De Meirleir, MD, PhD

The aim of this study was to determine if hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) could be used as adjunctive therapy and if HBOT could increase the quality of life in such a way that the functional status would improve in patients with an infection. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 15 Mycoplasma sp. infected CFS (CDC 1994) patients and 14 CFS (CDC 1994) patients with no evidence of a Mycoplasma infection [who] were enrolled in a convenience randomization sample from our referral clinic. No statistical differences were found by use of univariate repeated measures although Bodily Pain as measured by the SF-36 seems to decrease after hyperbaric therapy (Greenhouse-Geisser: p = .010).

Trends were found using paired t-testing for Mycoplasma infected CFS patients. The general perceived fatigue seemed to decrease after hyperbaric therapy (General Fatigue: p = .06). Directly after one week of hyperbaric therapy general fatigue improved (p = .03) but there was a reduction of activity (reduced activity: p = .05) and general perceived health (general health: p = .04). One month later the physical role increased (Role-Physical: p = .07). Although more data is required to make firm conclusions, trends were found. Reduced fatigue, increased levels of activity and an improved reaction time improved significantly their quality of life and therefore, enhanced also their functional status and thus could be used as an adjunctive therapy.