Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy entails breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established therapy 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 on account of diabetes or radiation injury.

In a hyperbaric oxygen remedy chamber, the air pressure is increased to 3 times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather a lot more oxygen than would be potential breathing pure oxygen at regular air pressure.

When your blood carries this extra oxygen all through your body, this helps struggle micro organism and stimulate the release of drugs called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.

Why it’s finished

Your body’s tissues need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. When tissue is injured, it requires even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen remedy will increase the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. With repeated scheduled remedies, the momentary additional high oxygen levels encourage regular tissue oxygen levels, even after the remedy is completed.

Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is used to treat a number of medical conditions. And medical institutions use it in different ways. Your physician could recommend hyperbaric oxygen remedy if you have 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 demise

Nonhealing wounds, equivalent to a diabetic foot ulcer

Radiation injury

Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue death

Traumatic brain injury

Vision loss, sudden and painless

Risks

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is mostly a safe procedure. Complications are rare. However this treatment does carry some risk.

Potential risks embody:

Center ear accidents, together with leaking fluid and eardrum rupture, attributable to modifications in air pressure

Short-term nearsightedness (myopia) caused by short-term eye lens modifications

Lung collapse caused by air pressure changes (barotrauma)

Seizures as a result of an excessive amount of oxygen (oxygen toxicity) in your central nervous system

Lowered blood sugar in individuals who have diabetes handled with insulin

In sure circumstances, fire — as a result of oxygen-rich surroundings of the therapy chamber

The way you put together

You will be provided with a hospital-approved gown or scrubs to wear in place of common clothing throughout the procedure.

On your safety, items such as lighters or battery-powered gadgets that generate heat aren’t allowed into the hyperbaric chamber. In addition, it’s possible you’ll must remove hair and skin care products which are petroleum based mostly, as they’re a potential fire hazard. Your health care group will provide instruction on getting ready you to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

During hyperbaric oxygen remedy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy typically is performed as an outpatient procedure however may also be provided while you are hospitalized.

Normally, there are types of hyperbaric oxygen chambers:

A unit designed for 1 person. In a person (monoplace) unit, you lie down on a table that slides into a transparent plastic chamber.

A room designed to accommodate several people. In a multiperson hyperbaric oxygen room — which usually looks like a big hospital room — you may sit or lie down. You may obtain oxygen by a mask over your face or a lightweight, clear hood placed over your head.

Whether you’re in an individual or multiperson setting for hyperbaric oxygen remedy, the benefits are the same.

During remedy, the air pressure within the room is about to 3 times the conventional air pressure. The elevated air pressure will create a brief feeling of fullness in your ears — similar to what you may feel in an airplane or at a high elevation. You can relieve that feeling by yawning or swallowing.

For most conditions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy lasts approximately two hours. Members of your health care staff will monitotherwise you and the remedy unit all through your treatment.

After hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Your therapy group assesses you together with looking in your ears and taking your blood pressure and pulse. If in case you have diabetes, your blood glucose is checked. Once the workforce decides you might be ready, you may get dressed and leave.

You could really feel somewhat tired or hungry following your treatment. This does not limit regular activities.

Results

To benefit from hyperbaric oxygen remedy, you’ll likely want more than one session. The number of classes depends upon your medical condition. Some conditions, corresponding to carbon monoxide poisoning, is perhaps handled in three visits. Others, akin to nonhealing wounds, might require 40 therapies or more.