With growing interest in molecular hydrogen (H₂), doctors are increasingly being called upon to look into clinical uses of the same. From stress alleviation through oxidation to cell health, hydrogen gas therapy through inhalation is being researched for a variety of clinical conditions. But how exactly does it work, and what kind of information should the doctor be knowledgeable about in order to counsel patients in this new field of medicine?The paper presents a review of the hydrogen inhalation therapy and potential clinical uses.
Hydrogen gas therapy may be interpreted to be that of intragastric administration of hydrogen gas to the body through one or more modalities, although previously mainly just by inhalation of hydrogen gas.Free radicals are quenched by wide ranges of antioxidants, and the hypothesis is reasonably that hydrogen gas is a selective antioxidant that quenches only the extremely dangerous free radicals and never the normal oxidative processes. Molecular hydrogen is low molecular weight and very small molecular size and hence diffuses pervasively freely into cells and tissues.
Hydrogen gas is normally given with assistance from hydrogen inhalation equipment, whereby patients breathe in the gas using a nasal cannula or mask. The procedure has been described as a potent therapy in wellness and clinical practice in disease management.
When hydrogen gas is inhaled, it reaches tissue within cells in the whole body through the lungs into blood. Body hydrogen acts synergistically by combining with free radicals to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) inducing oxidative stress. Prevention with antioxidants is effective since oxidative damage has played a role in pathogenesis of an immensa majority of long-term diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer.
Hydrogen gas also preserves mitochondrial efficiency, the cellular energy target. It is best applied to disease treatment with a mitochondrial dysfunction component, e.g., neurodegenerative disease or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Different research has investigated the therapeutic use of hydrogen gas inhalation as therapy. For example, research has documented the therapeutic potential of hydrogen in preventing brain damage from stroke, managing Parkinson’s disease, and recovering from cardiovascular disease. Inhaled hydrogen has also been shown, by research, to improve chemotherapy and radiation-induced side effects of cancer.
Even if research remains at the elementary level, hydrogen inhalation has also been demonstrated as potentially beneficial as per its power to influence anti-inflammation and neuroprotection. Besides, meta-analysis of the clinical trials with hydrogen gas therapy identified remarkable recovery from disease states such as diabetes, muscle atrophy, and liver damage and they revealed phenomenal applicability within medicine.
Hydrogen inhalation therapy is explored for the treatment of an incredibly wide range of diseases. Among the important clinical uses are:
Given its potential in these diverse areas, hydrogen inhalation machines could become an important adjunctive therapy in modern medicine.
One of the advantages of hydrogen inhalation therapy is that it has an adequate safety profile. Hydrogen gas is not toxic, and at low concentration (usually 2-4%), it is tolerated by the majority of patients. Hydrogen was approved by the FDA in the USA as being “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) for oral ingestion. But as with all treatment, respiratory disease or serious illness patients should take precautions for safety and first consult a physician in advance so that they can be treated with hydrogen inhalation therapy.
Medical practitioners who wish to offer hydrogen gas inhalation as a treatment can do so from their clinics using hydrogen inhalation devices. They can be mobile and in-clinic sizes and thus utilized differently in health centers, integrative medical facilities, and even hospitals.
Hydrogen treatment protocols continue unabated, but aside from hydrogen inhalation therapy for 30 minutes to one hour, the other centers can do little about it. Treatment sessions will be addressed to patients every other instance of a week or two for greatest health effect as and when required.
Since it is a new trend, hydrogen inhalation therapy has left the majority of experts optimistic that it would prove to be useful. Scientists and physicians alike believe that selective antioxidant activity treatment has the potential to bring huge benefits of inhaling hydrogen in reducing oxidative stress in various states of disease. But they recommend further research into its long-term effects and the establishment of clinical guidelines.
Physicians considering hydrogen gas treatment should keep abreast of clinical trials and research being performed to move forward with adding the treatment to practice.
Hydrogen inhalation can potentially act as an adjuvant or even a substitute for standard therapy of most chronic diseases. With its stunning antioxidant property, hydrogen inhalation therapy can cure disease from neurodegenerative disease to cardiovascular disease. With more clinical data at their disposal, doctors can maybe use this new treatment in a bid to even improve patient recovery.
Through their actions, they will be asked to stay current with any new evidence, investigate the incorporation of hydrogen inhalation devices into their own practice, and educate patients on the possible benefit of hydrogen therapy. Maybe this will be the wave of the future in disease and wellness treatment.
