HBOT Conversations:
Dr. Paul Harch & Autism

Dr. Paul G. Harch, M.D. has used hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat more than 100 different conditions, including stroke, dementia, autism, and traumatic brain injury. His goal is to help his patients get their lives back using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

He is the author of The Oxygen Revolution and is considered an International expert and pioneer in the field of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). His informative, and comprehensive guide on HBOT has helped countless souls better understand what HBOT is and how it directly affects the body at the genetic level.

This episode on Autism is the seventh in a nine episode series that will be released weekly with Dr. Harch.

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In episode 7 of 9, host Edward di Girolamo speaks with world renowned HBOT expert, Dr. Paul G. Harch about Autism.

The percentage of children with Autism is increasing at an alarming rate. In order to successfully treat Autism and navigate around the roadblocks, Dr. Harch explains that it’s important to understand that Autism is not a psychiatric diagnosis. Autism is a wounding condition of the brain, without all of the potential contributors being identified to the wounding process.

Dr. Harch was the first to treat a series of children with Autism using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy; a therapy which in and of itself is neuroplastic (it is a neuroplast — affecting neuroplasticity). He states that there’s a plethora of information on the fact that Autism is a physical brain abnormality, and that’s what’s causing this Autism phenomenon. Functional imaging scans that have been done on these Autistic children shows 90% of them have a problem involving primarily the temporal lobes and frontal lobes; mostly temporal lobes. Dr. Harch has treated a good series of these children with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and about 80% of them will respond to the treatment. There are various causes, which may explain why 100% don’t respond to HBOT, since there are different insults to the brains and/or it’s environmental. But, Dr. Harch stresses that there’s no such thing as a genetic epidemic, so this Autism epidemic we’re seeing must either be caused by environmental factors or infectious agents.

Dr. Harch affirms that the underlying nature of Autism is that there’s a dominant immune dysfunction in these children that often manifests in the GI tract, but also in the brain. Dr. Harch recommends our viewers read this beautiful article by Dr. Dan Rossignol, a Family Practice Physician with two autistic sons. In the article Dr. Rossignol reviews all of the pathophysiology — the disease processes — that have been identified in Autistic children, and he reviews all of the science of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and the effect it has on all of those disease processes. In the end, HBOT is shown to be a good match for the treatment of Autism.

di Girolamo asks Dr. Harch if Autism appears to be an inflammatory issue, with Dr. Harch agreeing that it does seem to appear that way. Dr. Harch went on to explain that of the 8,1001 genes that have been shown to be affected in human cells by a single Hyperbaric Oxygen exposure, the largest clusters involved are the anti-inflammatory genes — upregulation is turned on and there’s suppression of the pro-inflammatory genes.  Plus, there are many genes that are activated within the immune system which also supports the use of HBOT for the treatment of Autism as a dominant immune dysfunction.

The studies have been controversial and complicated on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism. But contrary to the results of these studies, Dr. Harch is here to say that the proof is in the imaging.  He has imaging revealing that after only one treatment — sometimes it’s a series of treatments — changes are seen in these children’s brains, and there’s improvement in profusion (such as in the temporal lobes).

Dr. Harch professes that what he’s been trying to do all these years, these decades, is to answer a simple question, “Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy work for your condition or not?” He explains it’s critical to start with HBOT solely and not throw a bunch of other therapies into the mix because then you have too many variables, and you won’t know exactly what’s helping and what’s not.  He explains Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a foundation biological therapy, and declares there is no identified therapy out there that can do what Hyperbaric Oxygen can do; including activating 40% of our genome. There’s nothing.

Dr. Harch references Chapter 12 of his book, The Oxygen Revolution, and says “I’m sorry but if your doctor is giving you negative information, flatly ignore him! Go get this therapy for your child!” Treating with HBOT is no different than if you dosed the child with a drug, or a drug combination. This is a two component drug we’re dosing with that’s safe and effective — pressure and oxygen.  We encourage you to try it, because it could change your life if you or your child are a part of this 80% success rate.

 

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Guest

Dr. Paul G. Harch

Dr. Paul G. Harch, MD

Dr. Paul G. Harch, M.D. is a clinician in emergency medicine and hyperbaric medicine who is the former director of the University Medical Center Hyperbaric Medicine Department and LSU Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship. Currently, he is a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Section of Emergency Medicine at LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine after graduating from the University of California at Irvine with magna cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa honors.

Dr. Harch initiated and continues to be a private practice that has resulted in the largest case experience in neurological hyperbaric medicine in the world. In this practice, he adapted the concepts of conventional hyperbaric oxygen therapy to wounds in the central nervous system, which spawned the subsequent academic and research practice. Harch HBOT is the best place to receive oxygen therapy treatments, and patients have traveled from more than 50 countries to be treated by Dr. Harch himself.

Harch HBOT – Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Clinic

5216 Lapalco Blvd.
Marrero, LA
504-309-4948
hbot@hbot.com
https://hbot.com/

 

Recent HBOT News

Clinical Trial – HBOT Late Radiation Tissue Injury

Background: Radiotherapy is a common treatment for many malignancies. Radiation-related
complications developing months or years after radiation treatment are known as late
radiation tissue injury (LRTI) and are estimated to effect 5%-15% of all long-term survivors
who have received radiation.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a well established treatment of LRTI. Most of the studies
evaluating effect of HBOT on LRTI are focused on survival, resolution of tissue damage and
improvement in LENT-SOMA scale. Very few studies have addressed effect of HBOT on pain in
LTRI. Krahn and colleagues were the first to report the analgesic effect of HBOT in 3 cases
of refractory pain in oncological patients with radiation soft tissue injury. Other studies
showed significant improvement in pain intensity in patients with breast cancer and pelvic
malignancies treated with HBOT for LTRI. In patients that had developed radiation- induced
brachial plexopathy, HBOT elicited an increase in warm pain thresholds and a reduction in
lymphoedema. A prospective case study of 16 patients with gynecological cancer found no
changes with respect to pain and depression outcomes. A trial in patients with radiation
induced proctopathy showed that 75% of patients with rectal pain had some improvement,
although none experienced a complete resolution of pain symptoms.

There are several mechanisms by which HBOT may elicit analgesic effects. There is a growing
body of evidence that HBOT’s analgesic effect related to nitric oxide metabolism and
endogenous opioid secretion. Furthermore, the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alph
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demonstrated a modification in the pain response following HBOT. In animal studies HBOT
decreased allodynia and hyperalgesia in different models of neuropathic and inflammatory
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non-injured tissues.

In human studies, HBOT decreased pain and edema and improved function in patients suffering
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patients with idiopathic femoral head necrosis. Women suffering from interstitial cystitis
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Based on the evidence presented above and HBOT’s known analgesic effect in many conditions,
the investigators designed this study with the objective to evaluate if HBOT reduces pain,
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Study Design: Prospective observational study (n=300). Patients that have had radiation
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Clinical Trial – HBOT in Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition affecting several millions of Canadians.
Although the etiology and pathophysiology are poorly understood, there is a well-recognized
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abnormal muscle metabolism and oxidative stress. Currently there is no cure for FM.
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies are directed to control symptoms such as
pain, fatigue, non-restorative sleep and depression.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is an intermittent inhalation of 100% oxygen in a hyperbaric
chamber at a pressure higher than 1 absolute atmosphere. Physiological effect of HBOT is
based on a dramatic increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen carried by the blood which
enables oxygenation of ischemic areas with compromised circulation. It also activates
oxidant-antioxidant system, stimulates angio- and neurogenesis, modulates inflammatory
response, induces brain neuroplasticity and possesses analgesic effect.

While some interventions offer benefit for some patients, additional treatment alternatives
are needed for patients with FM in whom currently available options are either ineffective or
poorly tolerated. Given its physiological effect, HBOT could be considered as a potential
therapy for treatment of underlying muscular hypoxia, optimizing oxidant- antioxidant system
and controlling FM symptoms. The results from this study could therefore provide new
information supporting the basic science underling the pathophysiology of this disease and
stimulate novel therapies for patients suffering with FM.