Hyperbaric services are effective treatments for any medical condition that will improve with increased levels of oxygen reaching tissue. Also called hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), it is used to speed recovery from persistent problems related to the body’s cells or tissues. The most common types of hyperbaric services, used either alone or in conjunction with other medical care, are for treatment of non-healing wounds, anemia, decompression sickness otherwise known as the “bends”, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, and infections. HBOT is also effective in urgent situations where there is significant blood loss, crush injuries that restrict blood flow, and in treating brown recluse spider bites.
HBOT has become recognized since the 1980s as a simple yet powerful therapeutic resource. First used on SCUBA divers with decompression sickness, hyperbaric services are now a standard part of treatment for a variety of medical problems. Diabetics with non-healing wounds often realize significant benefits from receiving increased oxygen that goes directly to the damaged areas. Pressurized oxygen also helps the body’s ability to fight infections by stimulating white blood cells that kill the bacteria causing the problems.
During therapy, pure oxygen is delivered to patients while they are inside a chamber in which atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled. Higher atmospheric pressure allows the oxygen to saturate blood plasma, which then transports it throughout the body. Increased oxygen tension in the affected areas boosts the antibiotic power of white blood cells, helping the rapid production of new blood vessels and nerve endings to stimulate healing.
Most HBOT sessions last for about two hours and are given at least once daily for about 10 days. Serious medical conditions may require 30 or more days of hyperbaric services. Treatments are given on an outpatient basis or as part of inpatient care. The oxygen is delivered in a chamber constructed of steel, aluminum or clear plastic in which the air is compressed from 2 to 2.5 times the natural atmosphere. Patients receive periodic “air breaks” during therapy to avoid the toxic effects of pressurized oxygen.
The effectiveness of HBOT for other medical conditions is also being studied in numerous clinical trials. Scientists are researching its potential to improve heart attack recovery, traumatic brain injuries, near drowning and chronic fatigue syndrome related to HIV. Research also is under way to find out if hyperbaric services can improve autism, hearing loss, Alzheimer’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Other studies are trying to determine if hyperbaric services stimulate dormant brain tissues and can help neurological problems such as traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, stroke and multiple sclerosis.