Ozone therapy in ophthalmology

This review presents an analysis of Russian and international publications on the use of ozone in ophthalmologic diseases, highlighting its pronounced antibacterial and antiviral effects, ability to suppress inflammation, improve local hemodynamics and microcirculation, and normalize impaired blood rheological parameters. A beneficial effect of ozone on metabolic and reparative processes has been established. Course administration of this method was shown to reduce lipid peroxidation activity while simultaneously stimulating the antioxidant system. A positive effect of local ozone therapy techniques has been demonstrated in intraocular infections. Experimental and clinical studies have elucidated the mechanisms of the therapeutic action of ozone in fungal and viral keratitis and in patients with ischemia–reperfusion retinal injury. Ozone has been shown to be an effective therapeutic modality for neurodegenerative disorders at early stages of age-related changes before progression to severe pathology. Ozone therapy for uveitis of various etiologies reduces the time to resolution of choroidal infiltration and the overall duration of treatment. The beneficial role of ozone therapy has been confirmed in high myopia and glaucoma, as well as its successful application in hemophthalmos, particularly in the early period after hemorrhage. Favorable clinical outcomes have been reported with both local and systemic ozone therapy techniques in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The multifactorial mechanisms underlying the therapeutic and preventive effects of ozone, ease of administration, good tolerability, and availability of modern equipment allow for the broad use of this method in ophthalmologic practice.