Chronic Colitis is a non-specific colitis with a polyetiological nature. The etiology of colitis is sometimes unclear for both the patient and the doctor, and its current treatment approaches symptomatic aspects from an anti-inflammatory perspective. Rectal ozone insufflation is considered a complementary treatment for colitis, thanks to the well-known bactericidal, viricidal, and fungicidal properties of ozone, in addition to its anti-inflammatory, circulatory, and immune-stimulating effects.
In the process of absorbing active oxygen from the intestinal wall, it reacts with the inflammatory products of metabolism, eliminates acidic and hypoxic environments, and promotes the regeneration of the intestinal epithelium. Ozone activates phagocytes, presses the button for humoral immunity. As a result, hemostasis is restored, microbial balance normalizes, and inflammation symptoms recede. The increase in pO2 in the blood normalizes intestinal motility.
Finally, rectal ozone insufflation has a general stimulating effect. The positive effect of ozone is particularly important for the mental state of patients with colitis. In cases of active acute processes, it is recommended to start rectal ozone insufflation with a low gas volume (100-150 ml) and high ozone concentrations (10000 mcg/L), and if tolerance is good, gradually increase the gas mixture volume (up to a maximum of 900 ml) while reducing the ozone concentration to 1000-3000 mcg/L. At the beginning of the treatment, insufflation is performed every day, then 2-3 times a week, and later the frequency is reduced to once a week. If the patient begins to recover, the gas volume is reduced, and low ozone concentrations are used. In the treatment of colitis, it is important to note that high ozone concentrations have a hemostatic effect, and low ozone concentrations increase blood flow (H.H. Wolff, 1988).
For the stimulation of the immune system and the regeneration of intestinal epithelium, it is recommended to apply minor autohemotherapy with 100 mcg of ozone twice a week, with 5-6 injections for each treatment course. Ozonotherapy can be successfully used in elderly patients with colitis if the cause of colitis is atherosclerotic arterial circulation disorder of the mesenteric artery, known as "ischemic colitis". In this case, the recommended gas mixture volume is 300-500 ml, ozone concentration is 3000-5000 mcg/L, and it is applied every 2 days for 3-4 weeks. In spastic forms of colitis, the ozone concentration used for insufflation can be increased up to 10000 mcg/L, and the gas mixture volume should be 300 ml. To enhance the effectiveness of treatment in such patients, it is recommended to perform intestinal irrigation (lavage) with ozone water before insufflation. Ozone therapy in patients with chronic colitis does not induce any resistance and prolongs the remission period (H. Knoch, W. Klug, 1990). To support the therapeutic effect obtained in these pathologies, ozone therapy is repeated 2-3 times a year. Unlike many antiseptics, ozone does not create any damaging or corrosive effects.
