Bradley Thomas was an athletic man who loved the outdoors, but that all changed when the infantry soldier’s tank was struck by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Doctors say the explosion left the 23-year-old semi-comatose, so the Texas man was brought to Tampa’s James A. Haley V.A. Hospital for treatment.
Day after day, he is transported to University Community Hospital in Carrollwood where he undergoes hyperbaric chamber treatment. “He’s going each day into a pressurized oxygen chamber,” said Dr. Ajay Patel. “That pressurized oxygen chamber puts him down to about one-and-a-half atmospheres, and in doing so it increases the amount of oxygen he receives and increases the amount of oxygen that healing tissue needs, such as the brain itself.”
There are risks associated with the treatment, Patel noted. The eardrum could be injured, and patients can develop seizures because of the pressure, he said. But he added that Bradley has not had any complications. “The goal for him is try to get him as much function back as possible,” said Patel.
Since the start of his treatment, Bradley has shown dramatic improvement, doctors say. He went from being semi-conscious to responding by blinking his eyes.
Bradley’s mother, Veronica Thomas, said “it’s just another day closer to recovery,” adding that even small signs of progress give her hope.
Thomas said her son is responding to verbal commands, “He’s smiling, squeezing a hand,” she said. “We’re seeing more spontaneous [reactions]. He just seems like he’s more with us.”
Texas Soldier Gets Hyperbaric Chamber Treatment In Bay Area
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I have always believed that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps autistic children. I even made a comment on the About.com blog about this on December 15, 2007
My comment regarding Autism Treatments on About.com:
“Considering that I believe this epidemic is caused by sleep apnea……I can see why many parents have found that both gluten free diets and hyperbaric chambers have been helpful.”
“Considering that I believe this epidemic is caused by sleep apnea which is associated with acid reflux(on the same gene: Chromosome 13: 13q14) I can see why many parents have found that both gluten free diets and hyperbaric chambers have been helpful. Tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, and nCPAP’s would probably be helpful too.”
“Regarding the Autism Epidemic. In 1993 the SIDS Prevention Back to Sleep campaign was started. At that time about 13% of American babies slept on their back. Now, it is 76%. Back sleep causes more sleep apnea episodes (lack of oxygen) and decreases sleep duration by 6% to 8% compared to stomach sleep. Therefore, since 1993 tens of millions of babies in America (and 30+ other countries) have had 6% to 8% less sleep and more sleep apnea episodes. I personally think this is the cause of the autism epidemic.”
“Just to follow-up on my previous comment: Sleep apnea has a 4:1 male to female rate. In severe cases of sleep apnea the rate is 10:1. This is because the upper airway anatomies of men and women are different. Sleep apnea can typically be cured by either a tonsillectomy with adenoids removed and/or an nCPAP (nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.”
http://autism.about.com/b/2007/12/08/scientific-american-wonders-whether-the-autism-epidemic-is-for-real.htm
http://fourfactortheory.blogspot.com/