New hope for endometriosis: the revolutionary treatment that scientists think could help patients – without medication
Breathing pressurized oxygen – comparable to being 13 meters under the sea – is being tested as a new treatment for endometriosis.
This painful condition, in which tissue similar to that of the uterine wall is found elsewhere in the body, is estimated to affect around 1.5 million women in Britain.
In a new clinical trial, patients will sit in a diving chamber for 90 minutes for eight weeks, five days a week, breathing pure oxygen.
The theory is that the treatment will reduce the inflammation that plays a major role in the development of the condition.
In the room, as above, patients breathe 100 percent oxygen (the room air contains 21 percent oxygen)
Women will sit in the hyperbaric chamber for 90 minutes at a time, five days a week, for eight weeks, breathing pure oxygen
In endometriosis, cells similar to those in the uterine lining grow elsewhere, usually on or around the reproductive organs in the pelvis or abdomen, including the fallopian tubes and ovaries. In some women, they can also grow on and around the bladder, cervix, intestines, and elsewhere.
Similar to the uterine lining, these pieces of endometrial tissue break down and bleed for a period of time, but cannot leave the body.
The resulting buildup of abnormal tissue can lead to inflammation, cysts, and scar tissue. Bands of fibrous tissue called adhesions can also form, causing pelvic tissues and organs to stick together.
Symptoms include severe pain and extreme fatigue: Endometriosis is also one of the most common conditions associated with female infertility.
There is currently no cure: treatments range from painkillers to hormone therapy. For example, taking the birth control pill stops the growth of endometrial tissue and prevents ovulation (thereby reducing endometriosis-related pain).
There is no cure for endometriosis. Current treatments include painkillers and even old-fashioned aids such as hot water bottles
Some women are offered surgery to remove the endometrial tissue – this is estimated to occur in 20 to 30 percent of cases. In a new trial at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Hospital in Toronto, Canada, 64 women aged 18 and older will receive standard treatments, including painkillers, and half will also receive hyperbaric therapy. In the room, patients breathe 100 percent oxygen (the room air contains 21 percent oxygen).
The higher atmospheric pressure increases the amount of oxygen entering the blood and tissues, and hyperbaric chambers – originally developed to treat decompression sickness in divers – are now used to treat a growing number of conditions, including burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and wounds.
Scientists in the new trial point to research in mice showing that inflammation and low oxygen levels are linked to the development of endometriosis and its symptoms.
And a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine found that mice with endometriosis could be successfully treated with hyperbaric therapy.
Dr. Ahmed Ismail, a gynecologist and obstetrician at the Queens Clinic, Harley Street, London, says the new treatment shows in small studies: ‘some potential in reducing inflammation and possibly relieving symptoms.
However, he adds, ‘the risks and complications associated with long-term exposure to oxygen, together with the limited scientific evidence, suggest that this treatment should not be rushed.
‘Further research is needed before HBOT can be advocated as a standard treatment for women with endometriosis.’