Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) is caused by enlargement of the prostate gland, which compresses the urethral canal causing partial obstruction and interfering with the ability to urinate. 

It is a disease that affects most of the male population over 50. 

From the surveys carried out in September 2021, it appears that more than six million Italians over the age of 50 are affected. To be precise, the following suffer from it: 50% of men between 50 and 60 years of age; 70% of men between the ages of 60 and 70; and 90% of the over 70s.

This pathology causes different types of disturbances: need to get up several times during the night to urinate; urgency to empty the bladder frequently even during the day; burning during and after urination; stream of urine that becomes weaker with a sensation of not voiding.

If neglected, BPH can cause, in the long run, anatomical obstruction of the urethra and urinary tract problems, with the need to resort to pharmacological and even surgical treatments.

The most commonly used surgical technique for the treatment of prostatic hypertrophy is transurethral endoscopic resection (TURP). According to data collected in 2003, in Italy there were 14,854 patients forced to undergo surgery.

Among the various treatments tested, ozone therapy via rectal insufflation has proved to be highly effective.

In this regard, Dr. Ermanno Lombardo, aesthetic specialist, posturologist and ozotherapist, presented, at the conclusion of the Master in Oxygen Ozone Therapy held at the Unicamillus University, a thesis entitled: “Effects of Oxygen-Ozone Therapy in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia”.

In his thesis, Dr Lombardo illustrated the results of the clinical trial relating to 6 patients affected by Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH), treated with ozone therapy administered by transrectal infusion.

To find out more “Orbisphera” interviewed him.

The objective of this scientific study was to evaluate the efficacy of ozone therapy practiced via the transrectal route, for the purpose of reducing the symptoms caused by BPH.

The trial was carried out on 6 male patients, aged between 57 and 84 years, suffering from BPH, who were treated with rectal insufflations of ozone, administered weekly and for a total duration of 8 weeks.

On the basis of the measurements carried out according to the international evaluation indexes (IPS score), all patients presented a marked improvement in symptoms. The most common complaints have disappeared, such as the urge to urinate at night during sleep, or the feeling of incomplete emptying. The quality of life and the state of health following the treatment were evaluated positively by all patients: all reported feeling better and living better.

We therefore have confirmation that ozone affects BPH with the reduction of edema of the prostate gland and with the elimination of inflammation that the enlargement of the prostate produces on the surrounding tissues.

Thanks to ozone, the prostate is reduced in size and no longer generates the annoying symptoms.

From a clinical point of view, the conclusions of my study overlap with those reported by various other scientific papers published in international journals.

Ozone therapy also proves to be very valid in terms of cost-benefit ratio: and this too is a reason for approval among patients.

I approached ozone therapy when I was a student at the University, thanks to my first teacher, Dr. Alberto Bellelli, who taught me the use of ozone to treat pain and pathologies affecting the back But only more recently have I been able to experience the therapeutic effects of ozone in the treatment of various pathologies, thanks to Dr. Vincent Dell'Anna.

I met dr. Dell'Anna as teacher at the Masters and Tutor in clinical practice. It was he who made me discover the infinite potential of ozone treatments.

What prompted me to practice ozone therapy on a broad spectrum was precisely its versatility: it is one of the few therapeutic tools that can effectively treat different types of pathologies. Modern medicine often thinks of erasing the symptom, regardless of the cause that produced it. Ozone, on the other hand, erases pain and symptoms thanks to its causal link healing qualities. This is a revolution for modern medicine, which also involves the possibility of reducing the use of drugs.

I would recommend the use of ozone therapy for a simple consideration often forgotten in medicine: "primum non nocere". In fact, ozone has no side effects.

I believe that ozone therapy should be considered in the range of tools available to every doctor, even if only in addition to standard therapies.

We have to be honest with patients: never talk about miraculous effects or sudden cures. As far as ozone is concerned, I’d change that last sentence: “ozone is only bad if you don’t use it”.