Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a type of treatment used to speed up healing of carbon monoxide poisoning, gangrene, and wounds that won't heal. It is also used for infections in which tissues are starved for oxygen. For this therapy, you enter a special chamber to breathe in pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than average. The goal is to fill the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues and restore normal body function Facts about hyperbaric oxygen therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was first used in the U.S. in the early 20th century. The therapy was tried again in the 1940s when the U.S. Navy used it to treat deep-sea divers who had decompression sickness. The therapy was also used to treat carbon monoxide poisoning by the 1960s. Today, it's still used to treat sick scuba divers and people with carbon monoxide poisoning, including firefighters and miners. It has also been approved for more than a dozen conditions ranging from burns to bone disease. These include: Carbon monoxide poisoning Cyanide poisoning Crush injuries Gas gangrene (a form of gangrene in which gas collects in tissues) Decompression sickness Acute or traumatic reduced blood flow in the arteries Compromised skin grafts and flaps Infection in a bone (osteomyelitis) that doesn't respond to other treatment Delayed radiation injury Flesh-eating disease (necrotizing soft tissue infection) Air or gas bubble trapped in a blood vessel (air or gas embolism) Chronic infection called actinomycosis Diabetic wounds that are not healing correctly Be aware that HBOT is not considered safe and effective for treating certain conditions. These include HIV/AIDs, brain injury, heart disease, stroke, asthma, depression, spinal cord injury, and sports injuries. How does HBOT work? HBOT helps wound healing by bringing oxygen-rich plasma to tissue starved for oxygen. Wound injuries damage the body's blood vessels, They release fluid that leaks into the tissues and causes swelling. This swelling deprives the damaged cells of oxygen, and tissue starts to die. HBOT reduces swelling while flooding the tissues with oxygen. The higher pressure in the chamber increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. HBOT aims to break the cycle of swelling, oxygen starvation, and tissue death. HBOT prevents "reperfusion injury." This is the severe tissue damage that happens when the blood supply returns to the tissues after they have been deprived of oxygen. Blood flow can be interrupted by a crush injury, for instance. If this happens, a series of events inside the damaged cells leads to the release of harmful oxygen radicals. These molecules can do damage to tissues that can't be reversed. They cause the blood vessels to clamp up and stop blood flow. HBOT encourages the body's oxygen radical scavengers to seek out the problem molecules and let healing continue. HBOT helps block the action of harmful bacteria and strengthens the body's immune system. HBOT can disable the toxins of certain bacteria. It also increases oxygen concentration in the tissues. This helps them resist infection. And the therapy improves the ability of white blood cells to find and destroy invaders. HBOT encourages the formation of new collagen and new skin cells. It does so by encouraging new blood vessels to grow. It also stimulates cells to make certain substances, like vascular endothelial growth factor. These attract and stimulate endothelial cells needed for healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses two types of chambers: Softcase chamber. This is a chamber built for one person. It's a long, plastic tube that looks like an MRI machine. Soft-sided chambers, known as mild HBOT or mHBOT, are portable chambers that seal with a zipper. They can reach pressure levels around 1.3 ATA and typically deliver 24 percent oxygen levels. Originally designed for divers and mountain climbers ( We use soft case ) Hard case chamber. These chambers are medical-grade devices and FDA-approved for the treatment of 14 conditions. In addition, they show positive results in studies for many, many more conditions. Hard-shell chambers are steel-enclosed chambers that deliver 100 percent oxygen at atmospheric pressures above 2.0 ATA. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not for everyone. It shouldn't be used by people who have had a recent ear surgery or injury, a cold or fever, or certain types of lung disease. The most common complication after HBOT is trauma to the middle ear. Other possible complications are eye damage, lung collapse, low blood sugar, and sinus problems. In rare, severe cases, a person can get oxygen poisoning. This can lead to seizures, fluid in the lungs, lung failure, or other problems. Considering the possible risks and benefits, the decision to use hyperbaric oxygen therapy must be carefully made after a discussion with your healthcare provider. One session is 60mins
