Lyme Disease and the Hyperbaric Chamber

The United States Center for Disease Control now reports a staggering increase in Lyme Disease diagnoses, with numbers reaching 476,000 annually—a 59% surge from the previously reported 300,000 cases per year. Despite being one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases, Lyme remains challenging to identify and diagnose accurately, making it difficult to ascertain the precise number of affected individuals. Compounding this issue, research suggests that up to 20% of Lyme patients experience lingering symptoms post-treatment, with many clinicians attributing these persistent symptoms to bacterial persistence.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) presents a unique approach to treating Lyme disease that traditional therapies do not offer. Given that the bacteria responsible for Lyme are anaerobic, meaning they cannot survive in oxygen-rich environments, HBOT capitalizes on this vulnerability. While these bacteria may develop resistance to traditional antibiotics, they cannot thrive in environments saturated with high levels of oxygen. Therefore, the application of HBOT and oxygen presents a logical and promising avenue for combatting Lyme disease.