During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, your body breathes 100% pure oxygen while in a special chamber. The chamber’s air pressure is two to three times that of the absolute atmosphere.
This increases oxygenation to the blood and helps re-oxygenate tissue that may be starved of it. This oxygen boost supports your innate healing abilities.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
During HBOT, you relax or sit in a pressurized chamber filled with pure oxygen. Depending on the treatment, the chamber can be monoplace (sits only one person) or duo-place (can hold two people). You breathe normally and the oxygen is delivered to your body via the bloodstream.
The pressurized environment allows the oxygen to be dissolved into the plasma, which is the liquid component of blood that transports proteins, hormones and nutrients. The higher-than-normal air pressure also allows the plasma to reach tissue that has been oxygen-deprived or damaged.
HBOT enhances the activity of the innate immune system and increases your body’s ability to fight infection. It destroys or inhibits the growth of bacteria that require a low-oxygen environment to thrive, as well as some viruses.
The therapy has been shown to help heal wounds, reduce inflammation and swelling and prevent severe tissue damage from a lack of oxygen (e.g., crush injuries). It can also treat decompression sickness from diving and carbon monoxide poisoning. Most insurance companies cover this treatment. Talk to your doctor about what coverage options are available.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Wound Healing
Wounds need oxygen to thrive, but sometimes injury to blood vessels or other problems limit the supply. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry, allowing your body to fight infection and heal damaged tissue.
When you enter the chamber, your lungs receive oxygen at much higher pressure than in normal air, allowing your body to absorb more oxygen and encourages the growth of new blood vessels at wound sites. This helps to break the cycle of inflammation, swelling and oxygen starvation that often leads to non-healing wounds.
The treatment can help with diabetic foot ulcers, chronic vascular insufficiency wounds, Fournier’s gangrene and radiation injury to soft tissue and bone. It also speeds up the healing of burns and can reduce amputation rates for people with severe, non-healing leg injuries.
Before you receive HBOT, your doctor will check your medical history and review any medications or medical implant devices you have. Some types of pacemakers made before the 1960s may not work in hyperbaric oxygen, so you need to let your doctor know if you have one.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Head Injuries
When you have a brain injury, your tissues may not receive enough oxygen. This can be a problem, especially since it slows the healing process and can trigger premature cell death (necrosis). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy pushes more oxygen into your blood vessels than normal to help oxygen-starved tissues heal.
HBOT helps re-oxygenate the brain, decreases swelling, and stimulates dormant cells, which can increase the potential for recovery. It also increases the growth of new blood vessels and promotes neurogenesis and angiogenesis, both of which are important for brain healing.
Studies have shown that HBOT can improve movement, IQ, and memory in people who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries. It can also reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression, which are common among people with TBIs.
During the treatment, you lie in a clear plastic chamber that looks like a large diving tank. The chamber can be designed for one person or for several people at once. Before you enter the chamber, you must remove any clothing that could interfere with a proper fit and avoid items that generate heat, as these can cause fires.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Lyme Disease
A bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted by ticks and causes the debilitating symptoms of Lyme disease. Symptoms include the bull-eye rash, fever, flu-like symptoms, headaches, fatigue and joint pain. If Lyme disease is caught early, a course of antibiotics will usually eliminate the infection. Unfortunately, many people do not respond to antibiotics or have lingering problems — often diagnosed as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
HBOT has been shown to improve the symptoms of PTLDS. This treatment raises the oxygen level in the body, which is lethal to this bacteria. It also stimulates the production of white blood cells and gives a boost to the immune system.
Kaitlyn and her son Charlie came to Delaware Hyperbarics for HBOT after undergoing several rounds of antibiotics for their Lyme disease. Their joint pain, sleep issues and fatigue were causing a significant impact on their daily lives. After receiving 30 HBOT sessions, they noticed that their numbness in the extremities and perioribital twitch disappeared. Their headaches were less severe, and they were able to sleep through the night.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Addiction Recovery
Unlike many medical treatments, HBOT is non-invasive and does not require hospitalization. You are placed in a chamber and once the air pressure is at the correct level you can relax inside the chamber, watch TV, read or rest while breathing 100% oxygen through a mask. Sessions last about an hour.
Long-term addictions like alcohol and drug abuse cause damage to the brain on a cellular level. Incorporating HBOT into drug and alcohol rehab can boost the body’s natural ability to heal itself and accelerate recovery.
The hyperbaric chamber uses pure oxygen under pressure to bring additional oxygen to areas of the brain damaged by drugs and alcohol. Increasing the amount of oxygen to the brain helps reduce cravings and improve memory. HBOT can also help those suffering from Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome, both of which are caused by chronic alcohol abuse.
Studies have shown that HBOT can increase stem cell production by 800% and speed up the healing process for injuries, infections and tissue death. These benefits can help those in addiction recovery heal faster and stay on the road to long-term sobriety.healing chamber
