Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, refers to the breathing of pure oxygen in an environment with a higher than normal atmospheric pressure. It can be used to treat a number of health problems such as decompression sickness, serious infections, bubbles of air in a patient’s blood vessels, and injuries resulting from diabetes or radiation exposure that haven’t responded to any other treatments.
In normal conditions, the Earth’s atmosphere exerts approximately 15 pounds per square inch of pressure at sea level. This is generally lower when one reaches higher altitudes. A human being in these atmospheric conditions breathes in approximately 20 percent oxygen and 80 percent nitrogen. Patients who undergo HBOT are placed in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber or other specialized room in which they are exposed to an atmosphere of pure oxygen at up to twice the Earth’s normal atmosphere. The lungs of a patient in these conditions can receive three times more oxygen than they would under normal conditions. Oxygen naturally dissolves in the bloodstream, and the oxygen rich blood that results from this therapy stimulates the body to release growth substances and stem cells. These in turn promote healing.
Disorders Treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The tissues of the human body require oxygen to function, and any tissue that is damaged requires a greater supply of oxygen in order to heal. Serious injuries and conditions can have a negative effect on the body’s natural blood oxygen level, but hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the concentration of oxygen in the blood back to normal levels to enable damaged tissues to resume their normal functions much more quickly.
While hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not new, doctors and educators at physical therapist schools have only recently begun to understand how useful the therapy can be in treating certain medical disorders. Some medical conditions that have been treated with HBOT include:
· Arterial gas embolisms, or gas bubbles in the bloodstream
· Decompression sickness in divers, also known as the bends
· Thermal burns
· Poisoning from carbon monoxide and cyanide
· Cerebral Edema
· Gangrene
· Infections that can cause tissue death
· Severe anemia
In addition to these acute conditions, HBOT has also proven effective in treating autism, arthritis, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal ulcers, and a number of allergies.
Research has also shown that HBOT may be effective in aiding in the rehabilitation of stroke victims. Studies of the effects of HBOT on 265 stroke patients in 11 hyperbaric centers have shown significant and steady improvement of symptoms as each patient underwent 30 one hour sessions of HBOT. 30 one hour sessions is normally not considered adequate treatment, yet most of these patients showed significant improvement throughout the study.
While hyperbaric oxygen therapy is by no means a new treatment, doctors and health professionals have only recently begun to see the many benefits associated with it. As with any medical procedure, there are risks involved such as oxygen toxicity, temporary nearsightedness and middle ear injuries. Still, research has shown that there could be significant benefits to utilizing HBOT for more patients.
Sources:
http://drcranton.com/hbo/conditions_treated.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hyperbaricoxygentherapy/MY00829
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