What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established treatment for decompression sickness, a potential risk of scuba diving.
Other conditions treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy include serious infections, bubbles of air in your blood vessels, and wounds that may not heal as a result of diabetes or radiation injury.
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In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the air pressure is increased two to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather much more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure.
When your blood carries this extra oxygen throughout your body, this helps fight bacteria and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.
Why it’s done
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 therapy increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. With repeated scheduled treatments, the temporary extra high oxygen levels encourage normal tissue oxygen levels, even after the therapy is completed.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat several medical conditions. And medical institutions use it in different ways. Your doctor may suggest hyperbaric oxygen therapy if you have one of the following conditions:
- Severe anemia
- Brain abscess
- Burns
- Radiation injury
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Crushing injury
- Infection of skin or bone that causes tissue death
- Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue death
- Vision loss, sudden and painless
- Decompression sickness
- Gangrene
- Deafness, sudden
- Traumatic brain injury
- Nonhealing wounds, such as a diabetic foot ulcer
- Bubbles of air in your blood vessels (arterial gas embolism)
What You Can Expect
During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy typically is performed as an outpatient procedure but can also be provided while you are hospitalized.In general, 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 an individual (monoplace) unit, you lie down on a table that slides into a clear plastic chamber.
Whether you’re in an individual or multiperson environment for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the benefits are the same.
Did you know…?
During therapy, the air pressure in the room is about two to three times the normal air pressure. The increased air pressure will create a temporary feeling of fullness in your ears – similar to what you might 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 team will monitor you and the therapy unit throughout your treatment.
Book an AppointmentAfter Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the air pressure is increased two to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather much more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure.
When your blood carries this extra oxygen throughout your body, this helps fight bacteria and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.
Results
To benefit from Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, you’ll likely need more than one session. The number of sessions is dependent upon your medical condition. Some conditions, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, might be treated in three visits. Others, such as nonhealing wounds, may require 40 treatments or more.
To effectively treat approved medical conditions, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is usually part of a comprehensive treatment plan provided with other therapies and drugs that are designed to fit your individual needs.
FAQ’S
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy work?Essentially, hyperbaric oxygen treatments use a combination of elevated ambient pressure and inspired oxygen concentration to greatly increase the amount of oxygen in the blood.
This elevated oxygen concentration allows oxygenation of tissues that are not getting enough oxygen at baseline, encourages new blood vessels to grow into these oxygen deprived tissues, and helps the body eliminate certain kinds of bacteria.
How long does a treatment last?Aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt.
What happens when I come in for a consult?Aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim.
How many treatments will I need, and how often?Aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim.
What conditions, injuries, or indications can be treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?Aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim.
Are Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments covered by insurance?Aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim.
Are there different types of chambers?Aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim.