Life-threatening ozone therapy
Speaking of ozone as a poison, superior in toxicity to carbon monoxide, or as the strongest oxidizer that can react even with those substances to which oxygen is inert, it would be unfair not to remember that it protects us from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. radiation and protects against pathogenic viruses and bacteria.These positive qualities formed the basis of the non-pharmacological method of recovery – ozone therapy, which has recently become incredibly popular all over the world.
Thunderstorm gas
Ozone (О3) is a gas with a characteristic strong odor, an allotropic form of oxygen, which is formed under natural conditions under the influence of ultraviolet and electric discharges. Ozone is very short-lived – it lives no more than half an hour. The volatility of this gaseous substance is due to the structure itself: its molecule, formed by three oxygen atoms, has one free bond, which provides ozone with greater activity in attaching to living cells and a high ability to oxidize.
The first to discover its existence was the Dutch physicist Mac van Marum. In 1785, he observed that when an electric spark was passed through oxygen, a certain gaseous substance appeared with a peculiar smell of thunderstorm.
Half a century later, German professor Christian Friedrich Schonbein showed that changes in the properties of oxygen in both van Marum’s experiments and water electrolysis occur with the formation of one and the same special gas – triatomic oxygen, which he called ozone (translated from Greek ).
In 1857, with the help of a perfect magnetic induction tube created by Werner von Siemens, the first technical ozone facility was created, on the basis of which the physical and chemical properties of ozone were studied. Identified a pronounced antimicrobial effect began to be used to clean drinking water. In 1901, Siemens built the first hydroelectric station with an ozonator in Wiesbaden.
The use of ozone in medical practice dates back to the 1880s. But in large numbers, it began to be used as an antiseptic by German doctors during the First World War. They were treated with poorly healing wounds, pressure sores, gangrene, severe burns and stopped severe bleeding. However, interest in this technique, the effectiveness of which has been proven in practice, has undeservedly disappeared with the advent of new potent antibiotics. For several decades, she was consigned to oblivion. It was only after it became obvious in the 70s of the last century that the use of antibiotics in some cases was inexpedient, they again recalled the therapeutic properties of ozone and included it in the program of international scientific research. Due to this, rational methods and optimal doses of gas were developed. Currently, ozone therapy is successfully used by doctors of America and Europe. In Russia, this method has been developed thanks to the research of scientists from Nizheny Novgorod and Moscow. In particular, Professor AV Zmyzgov. The main advantage of the method is its general availability and ease of use. Noble oxidizer The high oxidative ability of ozone to destroy even metals is very dangerous. Increased gas concentration causes damage to the eyes, cough, respiratory failure. Easily disintegrating into its constituent parts, it forms atomic oxygen, or oxygen free radicals, detrimental to living cells and tissues, accelerating their aging process. However, if the toxic dose is reduced 50 times, ozone serves only health purposes. It is these and lower concentrations used in medicine.
Penetrating into the cells of the human body, ozone binds to the polyunsaturated fatty acids contained there and forms biologically active groups of ozonides, which begin to have an oxidizing effect on the membrane of pathogens, destroying the integrity of its membranes. Gram-positive bacteria are more susceptible to ozone than gram-negative bacteria, which is apparently due to the difference in the structure of their membranes. As tests have shown, harmful microflora in an experiment dies within 4–20 minutes. This ability is based on the high antiseptic effect of ozone, which even extends to strong antibiotic resistant viruses, such as herpes, hepatitis A, B, C viruses. It is significant that human cells do not get damaged, but, on the contrary, receive wonderful “recharge”.
Ozonides act not only on microorganisms – they serve as a catalyst, enhancing the activity of intracellular structures and their enzymes. Due to this, the body stimulates redox and metabolic processes, improves the synthesis of biologically active substances. The introduction of the ozone-oxygen mixture is accompanied by an increase in the blood oxygen content. Accordingly, the ability of red blood cells – erythrocytes – to carry oxygen is enhanced.
