Strokes are the fourth highest natural cause of death in South Africa and the statistics keep climbing. After the brain experiences this kind of trauma, patients are often left paralyzed or impaired in some way. There are many treatments available for post-stroke patients, however, many are expensive and leave patients feeling hopeless. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is being researched as a possible solution for stroke victims. There are mixed views on this method of treatment. In order to make an informed decision about which course of treatment you want to undergo it is important to understand the history of strokes, what happens when you have a stroke, it’s symptoms, how a healthy body operates and what factors can contribute to your stroke risk.
DISCOVERY OF THE STROKE. Strokes were discovered over 2400 years ago by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, which was then known is apoplexy. This translates to “struck by violence” in Greek which describes the fact that in those days a person who suffered a stroke developed paralysis & change in well-being. Only in the mid 1600’s did a gentleman by the name of Jacob Wepfer find that patients who died from apoplexy had bleeding in the brain. He also brought to light that a blockage in one of the brain’s blood vessels could cause apoplexy but it wasn’t until 1928 where medical professionals divided apoplexy into categories based on the cause of the blood vessel problem which led to the term we use now: stroke.
A person can understand a stroke as being the brain’s version of a heart attack – some people call it a ‘brain attack’ to explain that it is caused by a lack of blood supply to the brain much like how a heart attack occurs when there isn’t enough blood being supplied to it. So, when someone experiences a stroke, what’s happening is that a part of their brain isn’t getting enough blood which means it isn’t getting enough oxygen. The longer your brain goes without oxygen, the more damage a stroke can cause on the person. Oxygen gets delivered to the brain through circulatory system, so it is important to have good circulation throughout the body.
THE CONTROL HOUSE. In any healthy body, the brain is acting as the ‘control house’ of everything you do. Your ability to speak, think and feel all gets monitored by your brain and each brain cell – of which there are millions – needs oxygen. Your cells use oxygen to make energy and if they don’t get adequate levels thereof, they will die. Your blood carries the oxygen throughout the body, so its job is to deliver that to the brain as well. Although our brain is a small part of your body mass, it uses 20% of the oxygen that gets circulated. The brain cannot store oxygen, so it needs a steady flow of blood too work at optimal levels. Brain cells start to die if they are starved of oxygen for three to four minutes and this is what happens when someone experiences a stroke. If the brain gets no oxygen for more than ten minutes, the damage can be serious. A person can experience problems judging distances, speech impediments, weakness or paralysis and trouble reading facial expressions.
DIET. There are some risk factors we can control in order to lower the chances of having a stroke:
hypertension is one the most common causes of stroke patients so it’s important to keep that under wraps. Research also shows that tobacco doubles your stroke risk so if you cannot stop, cut down at least. If you are struggling with weight and Diabetes, because these conditions make you susceptible to cardiovascular diseases and cause blockage of optimal blood flow, your diet is important. If you have already had a stroke, you are vulnerable in experiencing another one but there are ways you can prevent it from occurring again.
STROKES AND HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY. A study done at the Tel Aviv University in Israel was conducted in 2013 to see how post-stroke patients would benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as they theorized that being exposed to high levels of oxygen could help reinvigorate dormant neurons. As stated earlier, the brain uses up to 20% of the body’s oxygen but it needs much more to regenerate. Neurons that have experienced this kind of trauma have enough energy to “stay alive” but not enough to fire electrons. Hence, putting post-stroke sufferers in an oxygen-rich environment will give the body the energy it needs to start the regeneration process. Their study used patients between 6- and 36-months post-stroke and put them in high pressure chambers for five sessions weekly.
The results showed that HBOT treatment can yield significant improvement in the brains functioning even long after they’ve had the stroke as the high oxygen levels helps strengthen neurons and build new connections in the damaged area. After studying the brain images from the participants, the images showed increased brain activity after two months of starting the control period. Patients experienced an increase in sensations, improved speech and a reversal of paralysis. Their study shows beyond doubt that any neuroplasticity can be reactivated months and even years after acute brain injury.
LIFESTYLE AND STROKES. Realistically, in today’s busy and high-stress lifestyle, not all of us can afford to sit in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber five times a week; what Mega OxygenTM offers stroke victims is a convenient, 100% natural solution with no negative side effects in a capsule form. It contains a locally made African blend of moringa leaf extract and Sutherlandia which is nutrient rich, boosts the immune system & assist many ailments in the healing process. The base of our products is Magnesium Peroxide. Magnesium is vital in all cells in order to function at their best and is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body.
This powerful blend when mixed with water in an empty stomach releases the oxygen into the blood stream and starts working on a cellular level within the body. Our product will first detoxify your body, allowing it to expel all the harmful toxins inside and then because it boosts your immune system, the cells that are being regenerated are stronger. Because oxygen gets carried in the cardiovascular system, more oxygen will be carried to the brain to prevent further clotting, improves circulations and carries the oxygen where it’s needed to speed up recovery.
THE SOLUTION! Today we live in a world full of processed foods, bad habits and stress so it’s even more important to lead a healthy lifestyle. Strokes can be prevented, however, if you are a post-stroke patient don’t lose hope! You can get your life back; you can walk again. Mega Oxygen is locally made, completely natural and has no negative side effects. You’ve got nothing to lose when trying the oxygen experience!