After serving a tour in Iraq, Patrick Skluzacek returned with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – an anxiety condition that affects approximately 7.7 million Americans according to the National Institute of Health. Patrick's son Tyler wanted to help alleviate his dad's night terrors, a symptom commonly associated with PTSD, so the high school student entered a contest with his friends and developed an app. In Tyler's interview on USAToday, he explained how the PTSD app for smart phones and smart watches learns the causes of PTSD triggers and prevents them by monitoring sleep cycles, gently bringing its user out of deep sleep when a night terror begins.
As Tyler and his team continue to take their innovative work to the next level, we encourage you to follow and support his Kickstarter campaign here.
In addition to smart apps, a study in the journal of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be an effective modality for alleviating PTSD symptoms. Both the National Veterans Foundation and Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Lesley, of the Camp Lejuene Naval Hospital in North Carolina, have also recognized its benefits as part of an overall treatment regimen for offsetting the effects of PTSD.
Pro Oxygen is committed to working with veterans to ameliorate their PTSD symptoms, and it's an honor to help support their journey to improved health through initiatives like Tyler's app and hyperbaric oxygen therapy!