Rectal ozone therapy and ozone bagging apply a gas mixture of medical ozone and oxygen in different ways. In bagging, the gas touches the skin inside a special bag; in rectal ozone therapy, it is given through the rectum with a thin catheter.

Medical ozone is produced from medical oxygen by a special device during treatment. The doctor sets the concentration and duration for your condition; because ozone can be harmful at high concentrations, a controlled dose is important.

Ozone is a complementary medicine practice. In Türkiye, ozone therapy is regulated under the Ministry of Health’s Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices Regulation. Under this regulation, it may only be performed by physicians holding the relevant certificate, in authorized units.

Evidence on the effectiveness of ozone therapy is limited, and the response varies from person to person. These applications do not replace medical treatment; they may only be considered alongside it when the doctor finds them suitable. Do not stop any medicine on your own because you are having ozone therapy.

Ozone bagging is a local treatment in which a limb, such as an arm or leg, is placed in a sealed bag and exposed to ozone-oxygen gas. You keep breathing normally; the seal keeps the gas on the skin and away from the lungs.

The main uses in practice or under research are:

• Chronic wounds: Used as support alongside standard wound care for long-standing wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers.
• Wound infections: May be considered alongside medical treatment such as antibiotics and wound care.
• Fungal infections: Its use for skin and nail fungus is being researched.

Diabetic foot ulcers and wound infections can be serious and must be followed by the relevant specialists. Ozonated oil and ozonated water may also be used as support. For more on local uses of ozone, see minor and local ozone therapy.

Before either treatment, your health and medicines are reviewed, blood tests may be requested, and the doctor decides whether it suits you.

Ozone bagging usually follows these steps:

1. The area is cleaned and, if needed, moistened.
2. It is placed in a special bag, sealed to prevent leaks.
3. Gas at the concentration set by the doctor is fed into the bag.
4. At the end, the gas is emptied from the bag without escaping into the room.

Wound care and dressings continue as your doctor advises; ozone bagging does not replace wound care.

For rectal ozone therapy, you lie on your side, a thin, soft catheter is inserted into the rectum and the ozone-oxygen gas is given slowly through it. It takes about 10 minutes, and you can return to your daily routine the same day. Both treatments are carried out by a doctor or under a doctor’s supervision at the clinic in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, with care for your privacy.

Rectal ozone is intended to act on the whole body through the intestinal wall, so it is considered an alternative to major ozone therapy, in which ozone is mixed with your blood and returned through a vein. The two methods are not considered identical in effect, and which suits you is decided at your examination.

The rectal route may suit people whose veins are hard to access or who cannot tolerate intravenous treatment, or who prefer a method without drawing blood.

Evidence on the conditions in which rectal ozone therapy may help is limited, so the decision considers your symptoms, health history and current treatments together. If you have a bowel disease, symptoms in the anal area or unexplained bleeding, this must first be assessed by the relevant specialist.

When applied properly by a doctor, both methods are generally well tolerated, but side effects may occur:

• Rectal treatment: Gas, bloating, abdominal cramps and an urge to use the toilet, which usually pass quickly.
• Bag treatment: Dryness, redness or irritation of the skin.
• Inhaled gas: Ozone irritates the lungs if inhaled, so a sealed bag and safe emptying of the gas are important.

After rectal treatment, you may be advised to hold the gas in for a while, and light meals that day may help with bloating. Dry skin after bagging can be eased with a moisturizer your doctor recommends.

If you notice increasing abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, fever or a worsening wound after treatment, contact your doctor without delay. For questions, see the contact page.