Published:

June 28, 2024

Written by:

Reviewed by Thomas E Levy, MD, JD

Table of Contents

Ozone Ear Insufflation: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and How it’s Done

Ear ozone therapy is said to be useful for ear infections, sinus infections, mold toxicity, Lyme, and more. But just like any form of ozone therapy, ear insufflation can be clouded by confusion, misconception and misrepresentation. This article is here to clear things up.

Read on to learn:

What ozone ear insufflation actually is
The things it’s used for
Ways it may benefit you
The effects it has on the ear canal, sinus and brain
Potential side effects
How to do it at home

What is Ear Insufflation Ozone Therapy?

Using an oxygen tank and a small medical grade ozone generator (the size of a brick), a gas mixture of ozone and oxygen is created and pumped into the ears over the course of a few minutes. It is said to be useful for ear infections, sinus infections, mold toxicity, Lyme disease, and more. Ozone ear insufflation is usually self-administered at home with supplies acquired online or administered at a doctor’s office. Most people do it at home for chronic, recurring, or severe issues.

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Ozone molecules are composed of three oxygen atoms (O3), while oxygen consists of two oxygen atoms (O2). Because of that third oxygen atom, ozone is an unstable molecule and will quickly revert back to oxygen — this instability is where the proposed benefits come from. Using a medical grade ozone generator, pure ozone-oxygen mixtures may harness therapeutic benefits — in this instance the alleged resolution of ear infections and other issues.

As always, it is recommended that you seek advice from a medical practitioner prior to using ozone.

Uses

Ear Infections
Sinus Infections
Throat Infections
Fungus
Mold toxicity
Colds
Sore throat
Swollen glands
Lyme (Anecdotal, backed by common report and not research)
Brain related issues (Anecdotal, backed by common report and not research)
Pain in the neck or head (Anecdotal, backed by common report and not research)

Benefits

Inactivates and kills bacteria, protozoa, yeast fungi, and viruses
May improve circulation
May decrease inflammation
May improve oxygen efficiency and usage
May increase energy
May stimulate growth factors in the ear
May decrease brain fog and stimulate positive effects in the brain

Effects on the Ear Canal

In the ear canal, ozone primarily serves as a disinfectant by killing off pathogens. Ozone's ability to stimulate growth factors on the skin (necessary for repairing damage) has led many researchers to postulate that ozone may have the same effect in the ear, even though skin is a different tissue than what’s found in the ears.

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Effects on the Sinus

Practitioners often use ozone for sinus infections, blockages, and other sinus issues. Some believe the effects of ozone are able to travel throughout the sinus cavity through the tubes connecting the ear and sinus.

Effects on the Brain

Beyond anecdotes and individual reports, there is little research evidence suggesting that ozone has an effect on the brain.

A paper produced by Dr. Jay Buckey in the journal of Cellular Neurophysiology suggests that ozone may have effects past the eardrum. This would mean that ozone could have a positive effect on the inner ear and potentially further into the brain.

If this is the case, it’s likely that ozone itself does not travel to the inner ear, but creates a chain reaction known as a cascade effect. Within other body tissues, like the blood or rectum, ozone interacts with the products and creates reactive oxidant species and lipid peroxides.

Oxidative stress often creates byproducts that can be bad if your body has too much. But this small stimulation from ozone therapy causes a positive reaction in your body that results in benefits.

Think of it this way: exercise stimulates stress within your body. Your body then recognizes that stress and heals itself to be stronger and healthier than before. In the same way, when ozone therapy is done correctly, it often stimulates a very small stress which causes a large response in your body to healing, reparation, and homeostasis. Read a more detailed explanation of ozone therapy and its effects here.

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Risks

Done correctly and with the proper equipment, ozone ear insufflation has minimal risk. There are some reports of irritation in the ear canal from too strong of a dose, or sensitivity to ozone. If irritation occurs, people generally discontinue the use of ozone ear insufflation or reduce the length of the therapy to decrease the dose. The irritation is not permanent and should resolve itself quickly.

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Ozone cannot be inhaled because it will irritate the lung tissue. Prolonged exposure at high concentrations may be cause for health concerns. Doctors and scientists who use ozone claim that it is one of the safest therapeutic modalities known to man. A complete review on the safety of ozone therapy can be read here.

Contraindications and reasons to avoid ozone ear insufflation

These potential contraindications are generally the only reasons a practitioner would avoid ozone ear insufflation in their clinic:

Punctured Eardrum
Pregnancy
Ozone sensitivity or allergy
Perhaps more but more studies are needed.

Negative Side Effects

If you experience any of the following symptoms, discontinue and contact your medical professional.

Pain
Itching
Liquid Discharge from Rash or Blockage
Tinnitus
Scabbing
Swelling

There are no reports of these negative side effects causing permanent damage. Practitioners often explain these negative side effects as one of four things:

Herxheimer reaction, where ozone quickly kills off bacteria and byproducts are produced, causing irritation and inflammation. AKA “Detoxification is occurring too fast.”
Ozone begins to remove blockages in the ears
An ozone allergy or sensitivity
Too much ozone is used

Ozone is very dry and may cause further dryness in the ears. This is why ear insufflation often uses a humidifier for the ozone gas.

Use with Antibiotics

Ozone does not seem to have negative interactions with antibiotics. Consult your practitioner before using ozone.

Ozone Ear Insufflation Equipment

All parts used must be ozone resistant to avoid contaminants in the gas (316SS, Titanium, Silicone, and Quartz Glass are acceptable materials).

Equipment needed:

Oxygen Tank
Oxygen regulator (comes with the generator)
Ozone Generator
Ozone Water Bubbling Device
Ozone Headset/Stethoscope
Fan and/or 3M Mask for avoiding breathing the ozone

To learn more about the equipment needed, and how to do ear insufflation check out this video

If you already have a medical ozone generator, it will cost $250 to get set up. If you don’t have a medical grade ozone generator, it will cost around $1,400-$1,800 for everything.

If done at a doctor's office, it often costs between $30 - $100 per treatment.

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Ozone Ear Therapy Procedure

Ozone ear Insufflation may cause irritation, discharge, itching, and other issues. Please consult with your medical practitioner before trying ozone therapy. This article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

In most cases, if people experience an adverse event, it’s because they used too much ozone. They typically wait for negative side effects to subside, then restart at one fourth of the starting dose below.

Basic Information

Ozone concentration ranges from 10 - 25 ug/ml (gamma)
Flow rate ranges from 1/2 - 1/8 LPM
Time ranges from 2 - 6 minutes

Protocol

Low and Slow Approach

Flow rate of oxygen should be below 1/4 LPM
Your flow rate will vary between 1/4 LPM to 1/8 LPM depending on your machine
First treatment is 2 minutes at around 10 gamma and 3 times per week.
Titrate up 30 seconds up every session to the final time of 6 mins per session
After 1 month start this process over, but now at 20-25 gamma at 3 times a week and work up the final time of 6 mins a treatment
Your practitioner may add additional days of therapy depending on your tolerance

Aggressive Approach - do not start with this until you have already attempted a low dose protocol

Start off for 4 minutes at 20-25 gamma at 5 times a week
Titrate up 30 seconds each treatment until you reach 6 mins a treatment
Practitioner can decide to go up to 7 days a week at the 6 mins/20-25 gamma
Flow rate will vary between 1/2 LPM to 1/8 LPM (around setting 4-6 depending on your machine)

Precautions and things to look out for

Some people are more sensitive to ozone than others, so a fan nearby this setup would be a good idea.
Most will smell some ozone while doing this treatment, and this is fine as long as you’re not coughing or having watery eyes
You do not want to intentionally press the stethoscope into the ear canals as this could cause pressure build-up and ear damage. You actually want ozone gas to continually flow in the ear canal and not just be "trapped" there. Some continuing "escape" of the ozone gas is desirable
The stethoscope can be positional, so if you are smelling excessive ozone, make sure the ear cups are better positioned in the ear canal
An adverse reaction to ozone ear insufflation would be consistent with a Herxheimer reaction. This could mean excessive fatigue, rash, lymph drainage, and/or fever/chills.
If you believe you are having a “Herx Reaction”, discontinue your ozone treatment for 4-7 days or until symptoms subside and allow your system to reset. Then start off on ½ as much gamma and time as previously administered. Next, titrate back up to the original amount over a timeframe determined by your practitioner. There are a number of protocols to help prevent people from developing a Herxheimer reaction.
Some people can experience headaches after doing this type of therapy. If this happens to you, lower the gamma and time by half for the next treatment
If you have “weepy” or consistent moisture in your ears, you are most likely getting too much ozone and should take a break from the ear insufflation.

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Disclaimer

This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. Seriously.

Ask advice from your medical practitioner before trying anything like this or relating to ozone therapy.

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. We do not aim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content on this website, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.

This site offers medical information about treatments and remedies which are available in other countries completely legally, but in no way should anyone consider that this site represents the “practice of medicine.” ozoneinfo.org assumes no responsibility for how this material is used.

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Sources

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