Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen remedy entails breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established treatment for decompression sickness, a possible risk of scuba diving. Different conditions handled with hyperbaric oxygen remedy embody serious infections, bubbles of air in your blood vessels, and wounds that won’t heal on account of diabetes or radiation injury.
In a hyperbaric oxygen remedy chamber, the air pressure is increased to a few times higher than regular air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can collect a lot more oxygen than can be possible breathing pure oxygen at regular air pressure.
When your blood carries this further oxygen all through your body, this helps combat micro organism and stimulate the release of gear called development factors and stem cells, which promote healing.
Why it’s done
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 therapy increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. With repeated scheduled therapies, the short-term additional high oxygen levels encourage regular tissue oxygen levels, even after the therapy is completed.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to deal with a number of medical conditions. And medical institutions use it in several ways. Your physician could recommend hyperbaric oxygen remedy when you’ve got one of many 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
Infection of skin or bone that causes tissue loss of life
Nonhealing wounds, comparable to a diabetic foot ulcer
Radiation injury
Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue dying
Traumatic brain injury
Vision loss, sudden and painless
Risks
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally a safe procedure. Problems are rare. However this remedy does carry some risk.
Potential risks embody:
Middle ear injuries, together with leaking fluid and eardrum rupture, as a result of adjustments in air pressure
Temporary nearsightedness (myopia) caused by non permanent eye lens changes
Lung collapse caused by air pressure adjustments (barotrauma)
Seizures on account of too much oxygen (oxygen poisonousity) in your central nervous system
Lowered blood sugar in individuals who have diabetes treated with insulin
In sure circumstances, fire — because of the oxygen-rich setting of the remedy chamber
How you put together
You will be provided with a hospital-approved gown or scrubs to wear in place of regular clothing throughout the procedure.
In your safety, items equivalent to lighters or battery-powered units that generate heat will not be allowed into the hyperbaric chamber. In addition, you might must remove hair and skin care products which are petroleum based mostly, as they are a potential fire hazard. Your health care staff 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 be provided while you’re hospitalized.
Normally, 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 clear plastic chamber.
A room designed to accommodate several people. In a multiperson hyperbaric oxygen room — which normally looks like a large hospital room — chances are you’ll sit or lie down. You could obtain oxygen by a mask over your face or a lightweight, clear hood placed over your head.
Whether or not you are in a person or multiperson environment for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the benefits are the same.
Throughout therapy, the air pressure in the room is about to a few instances the conventional air pressure. The increased air pressure will create a temporary 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 remedy lasts approximately hours. Members of your health care workforce will monitotherwise you and the therapy unit all through your treatment.
After hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Your therapy staff assesses you including looking in your ears and taking your blood pressure and pulse. You probably have diabetes, your blood glucose is checked. Once the group decides you are ready, you will get dressed and leave.
You could really feel considerably tired or hungry following your treatment. This does not limit normal activities.
Results
To benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you may likely want more than one session. The number of classes depends upon your medical condition. Some conditions, akin to carbon monoxide poisoning, could be treated in three visits. Others, reminiscent of nonhealing wounds, could require forty remedies or more.
