Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy includes breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is a well-established therapy for decompression sickness, a possible risk of scuba diving. Different conditions treated with hyperbaric oxygen remedy include severe infections, bubbles of air in your blood vessels, and wounds that won’t heal because of diabetes or radiation injury.
In a hyperbaric oxygen remedy chamber, the air pressure is increased two to 3 times higher than regular air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can collect much more oxygen than would be attainable breathing pure oxygen at regular air pressure.
When your blood carries this additional oxygen all through your body, this helps fight bacteria and stimulate the release of gear called progress factors and stem cells, which promote healing.
Why it’s performed
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 will increase the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. With repeated scheduled therapies, the temporary further high oxygen levels encourage normal tissue oxygen levels, even after the therapy is completed.
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is used to treat several medical conditions. And medical institutions use it in different ways. Your doctor may suggest hyperbaric oxygen remedy in case 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 dying
Nonhealing wounds, resembling a diabetic foot ulcer
Radiation injury
Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue loss of life
Traumatic brain injury
Vision loss, sudden and painless
Risks
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy is usually a safe procedure. Problems are rare. However this therapy does carry some risk.
Potential risks embrace:
Middle ear injuries, together with leaking fluid and eardrum rupture, as a result of changes in air pressure
Non permanent nearsightedness (myopia) caused by momentary eye lens modifications
Lung collapse caused by air pressure modifications (barotrauma)
Seizures because of too much oxygen (oxygen toxicity) in your central nervous system
Lowered blood sugar in people who have diabetes treated with insulin
In sure circumstances, fire — because of the oxygen-rich setting of the therapy chamber
The way you put together
You’ll be provided with a hospital-approved gown or scrubs to wear instead of common clothing through the procedure.
On your safety, items akin to lighters or battery-powered units that generate heat are not allowed into the hyperbaric chamber. In addition, you may must remove hair and skin care products which can be petroleum based, as they’re a potential fire hazard. Your health care group will provide instruction on making ready you to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
During hyperbaric oxygen remedy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy typically is performed as an outpatient procedure but can also be provided while you are hospitalized.
Basically, there are two 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 transparent plastic chamber.
A room designed to accommodate a number of people. In a multiperson hyperbaric oxygen room — which normally looks like a large hospital room — it’s possible you’ll sit or lie down. You could obtain oxygen by means of a mask over your face or a lightweight, clear hood placed over your head.
Whether you’re in an individual or multiperson environment for hyperbaric oxygen remedy, the benefits are the same.
Throughout remedy, the air pressure within the room is about to a few occasions the conventional air pressure. The increased air pressure will create a short lived feeling of fullness in your ears — similar to what you would possibly feel in an airplane or at a high elevation. You may relieve that feeling by yawning or swallowing.
For many conditions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy lasts approximately hours. Members of your health care team will monitotherwise you and the remedy unit throughout your treatment.
After hyperbaric oxygen remedy
Your remedy crew assesses you including looking in your ears and taking your blood pressure and pulse. You probably have diabetes, your blood glucose is checked. As soon as the staff decides you might be ready, you may get dressed and leave.
It’s possible you’ll feel considerably tired or hungry following your treatment. This would not limit regular activities.
Outcomes
To benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you will likely want more than one session. The number of periods is dependent upon your medical condition. Some conditions, equivalent to carbon monoxide poisoning, could be treated in three visits. Others, corresponding to nonhealing wounds, might require forty treatments or more.
