Ozone is a molecule containing three oxygen molecules. While it is inherently unstable, it has been used in medical applications for more than 100 years. Ozone is not breathable, but it can be mixed with your own blood and put back in your body. It can also be applied to a wound inside a protective sleeve to disinfect the wound.

It’s important to note that ozone has toxic capabilities. When applied to a wound, part of the function of the gas is to create an environment where bacteria have no accessible oxygen; at this point, the bacteria die. Your tissue stays healthy because your tissue is fed by the oxygen molecules you’re breathing. While ozone is currently under consideration as a therapy for those with breathing challenges, it can’t be taken into the lungs.

Ozone can be mixed with breathable oxygen and injected into the muscles or mixed with your own extracted blood and injected back into your body. The treated blood increases your body’s oxygen level without putting any more pressure on your lungs and heart.

Additional Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Getting enough rest is critical to not only fighting infection but in avoiding it. Tired people are more likely to catch colds, and it’s easier for a cold to turn into something nastier if you’re exhausted when you get it. Practice excellent sleep hygiene to make sure that you can fall asleep deeply and stay there. Keep your bedroom dark and avoid screen exposure for an hour before bedtime if you struggle to get to sleep.

Boosting your vitamin intake, especially your vitamin C level, is important as cold and flu season ramps up. While no vitamin can protect you against novel viruses such as the virus that causes COVID-19, boosting your intake of vitamins C and D will lessen the duration and severity of your cold. Zinc can also shorten the number of days that you’re sick.

Engage in moderate exercise to boost your mood and reduce inflammation. Strive for 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Two 15 minute walks a day could be the difference between a 7 day cold or seasonal flu and 4 days of sickness.

Stress management is also critical to reducing the burden on your immune system. Do your best to focus on what you can actually control. Don’t spin out on information that worries or frightens you; there’s little you can do about much of the angst in the world, but you can control what comes into your field of vision. If there was ever a time to be very choosy about what information you study, this is it.

Strive to add raw fruits and veggies to your diet. At each meal, try to make half of your plate vegetables. If you prefer roasted veggies to a raw salad, use olive oil for roasting to reduce saturated fats. Add salt at the table, but roast your veggies with plenty of pepper for zing and flavor. Seeds, nuts and legumes are also a great addition to your diet to boost your intake of antioxidants.

Antioxidants remove inflammation in the body caused by free radicals. Free radicals are generated when your body breaks down the toxins we’re all exposed to on a daily basis. Free radicals that stay in the body cause an inflammatory response; antioxidants latch onto these molecules and take them out of the body via the cleansing organs, including the liver, gut and kidneys.

A healthy gut is crucial to a strong immune system. Fermented foods like

• sauerkraut
• yogurt, and
• kimchi

will keep your gut healthy and functioning effectively. Healthy guts move waste and toxins much more efficiently and reduce both the number of infections you’re at risk of picking up and the length of your illness if you do get sick.

For those who are prone to chronic infections, inflammatory illness or suffer from a skin condition that makes healing a challenge, ozone therapy can make a huge difference. It can also boost your bodies oxygen level after a blood infusion, making it an excellent choice for those with breathing challenges. It cannot be taken directly into the lungs. If your immune system is compromised and you need extra protection as we move into cold and flu season, remember that there are many options for supporting your immune system and we are happy to help. Ready to get started? Call us today at (205) 352-9141.