Hyperbaric oxygen remedy
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is a well-established treatment for decompression sickness, a potential risk of scuba diving. Other conditions treated with hyperbaric oxygen remedy embody critical infections, bubbles of air in your blood vessels, and wounds that may not heal as a result of diabetes or radiation injury.
In a hyperbaric oxygen remedy chamber, the air pressure is elevated two to a few instances higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather a lot more oxygen than can be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure.
When your blood carries this additional oxygen all through your body, this helps struggle micro organism and stimulate the discharge of gear called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.
Why it’s accomplished
Your body’s tissues need an adequate provide of oxygen to function. When tissue is injured, it requires even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen remedy increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. With repeated scheduled treatments, the non permanent additional high oxygen levels encourage normal tissue oxygen levels, even after the remedy is completed.
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is used to deal with several medical conditions. And medical institutions use it in different ways. Your doctor could counsel hyperbaric oxygen remedy when you’ve got one of the following conditions:
Severe anemia
Brain abscess
Bubbles of air in your blood vessels (arterial gas embolism)
Burns
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Crushing injury
Deafness, sudden
Decompression sickness
Gangrene
An infection of skin or bone that causes tissue dying
Nonhealing wounds, such as a diabetic foot ulcer
Radiation injury
Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue demise
Traumatic brain injury
Vision loss, sudden and painless
Risks
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is mostly a safe procedure. Issues are rare. But this remedy does carry some risk.
Potential risks include:
Center ear accidents, including leaking fluid and eardrum rupture, due to changes in air pressure
Temporary nearsightedness (myopia) caused by temporary eye lens adjustments
Lung collapse caused by air pressure modifications (barotrauma)
Seizures because of an excessive amount of oxygen (oxygen poisonousity) in your central nervous system
Lowered blood sugar in individuals who have diabetes handled with insulin
In certain circumstances, fire — as a result of oxygen-rich atmosphere of the remedy chamber
The way you put together
You will be provided with a hospital-approved gown or scrubs to wear in place of regular clothing during the procedure.
To your safety, items akin to lighters or battery-powered units that generate heat should not allowed into the hyperbaric chamber. In addition, it’s possible you’ll have to remove hair and skin care products which can be petroleum based, as they’re a possible fire hazard. Your health care group will provide instruction on getting ready you to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Throughout hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy typically is performed as an outpatient procedure but can also be provided while you’re hospitalized.
On the whole, there are types of hyperbaric oxygen chambers:
A unit designed for 1 person. In an individual (monoplace) unit, you lie down on a table that slides into a clear plastic chamber.
A room designed to accommodate a number of people. In a multiperson hyperbaric oxygen room — which normally looks like a big hospital room — chances are you’ll sit or lie down. You may receive oxygen through a mask over your face or a lightweight, clear hood positioned over your head.
Whether you are in a person or multiperson environment for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the benefits are the same.
Throughout therapy, the air pressure within the room is about to three times the conventional air pressure. The elevated air pressure will create a short lived feeling of fullness in your ears — much like what you might feel in an airplane or at a high elevation. You’ll be able to relieve that feeling by yawning or swallowing.
For most conditions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy lasts approximately two hours. Members of your health care group will monitotherwise you and the remedy unit all through your treatment.
After hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Your therapy staff assesses you together with looking in your ears and taking your blood pressure and pulse. In case you have diabetes, your blood glucose is checked. Once the team decides you’re ready, you can get dressed and leave.
You may feel considerably tired or hungry following your treatment. This would not limit regular activities.
Results
To benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you may likely need more than one session. The number of periods is dependent upon your medical condition. Some conditions, similar to carbon monoxide poisoning, is perhaps handled in three visits. Others, reminiscent of nonhealing wounds, may require 40 remedies or more.