Oxygen therapy
From RationalWiki
"If you are in possession of this revolutionary secret of science,
why not prove it and be hailed as the new Newton?
Of course, we know the answer. You can't do it. You are a fake."
Oxygen therapy or hyperoxygenation therapy is a quack medical treatment claimed by its proponents to treat several diseases including AIDS and cancer. The term, oxygen therapy, is a catch-all term for several different treatments which include ingesting or injecting hydrogen peroxide, ozone therapy of various kinds, drinking so-called "oxygenated water" products, and the inhalation of pure oxygen.
Oxygen therapy is completely ineffective and potentially dangerous.
Oxygen therapy is based on the false notion that cancer cells and viruses cannot survive in a high-oxygen environment, and that a low-oxygen environment encourages infectious diseases. This is not only untrue, but when various oxygen therapies have been scientifically tested with AIDS patients in double blind studies they were found to worsen their condition. Laboratory studies have also found that high oxygen levels encourage the growth of new cancer cells rather than hindering it.
Some of these treatments, which include "autohemotherapy" (drawing blood from the patient and bubbling ozone through it, then reinjecting it into the patient), and ingestion or injection of hydrogen peroxide, can be potentially dangerous or deadly. Hydrogen peroxide is only useful used externally to disinfect wounds. Taking it internally or through injection or enemas can lead to any number of dangerous effects such as gas bubbles forming in the liver, destruction of red blood cells, and kidney failure. Likewise, the inhalation of ozone at high concentrations can lead to respiratory irritation and coma.
Some other forms of oxygen therapy are not potentially dangerous, but merely worthless wastes of time and money. Drinking so-called "oxygenated water" is a useless quack patent medicine. This product is sometimes found in health food stores. Inhalation of oxygen has legitimate medical uses, but is useless in treating diseases such as cancer and AIDS.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] Other external links
| Alternative medicine articles on RationalWiki | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aromatherapy - Autism: Peddling false hope - Bee venom therapy - Chelation therapy - Chiropractic - Hulda Clark - Colonic - Color therapy - Ear candling - Faith healing - Fasting - Geier family - Hair Analysis - Health freedom - Heel (company) - Herbal supplement - Homeopathy - Kombucha - Laetrile - Lupron therapy - Macrobiotics - Magnetic therapy - Medical marijuana - National Health Federation - Narconon - Oxygen therapy - Q-Ray - Reflexology - Rolfing - Shark cartilage - Shiitake mushroom - Therapeutic touch - Kevin Trudeau Fad diets: Blood type diet - Caveman diet - Ephedrine - Fad diet - Food woo - Jesus Diet - Lemonade diet- Low-carb diet - Organic food - Raw foodism - Self help - Squirrel diet (fun) | ||
