Hyperbaric oxygenation is also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It is a treatment that involves putting people in a pressurized chamber filled with pure oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygenation has a wide variety of medical uses, including therapy for decompression sickness, gas poisoning, embolisms, and some kinds of injuries. It’s also sometimes used for many other purposes, including the treatment of cancer and autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), but most of these uses haven’t been medically verified, and some are strongly disputed within the medical community.
There are two basic kinds of hyperbaric chambers. The first kind are designed for a single person, and they’re tube-shaped. There are portholes on the outside that allow a physician to access the patient if necessary. Another kind of hyperbaric chamber is designed for multiple people to be treated at the same time, and it is basically a pressurized room.
When using a hyperbaric chamber, it is generally important that people avoid staying in them for too long. The usual treatment time is between 30 minutes and about two hours. The amount of pressure used will vary depending on the purpose of the treatment, but a general maximum is about three times the level of normal atmospheric pressure.
The original purpose of hyperbaric oxygenation was to treat people with a disorder called decompression sickness. This is something that can happen when people go through pressure changes too rapidly. An example would be a diver who changes his depth too rapidly without allowing time for his body to adjust.
When people get decompression sickness, air generally gets trapped in their bodies. Hyperbaric oxygenation can help force this air out because of the general increase in pressure. This is also the mechanism that allows hyperbaric oxygenation to help people suffering from embolisms.
If people get too much exposure to a poisonous gas such as carbon monoxide, it can potentially contaminate their blood. If someone has received this level of exposure, the contaminating substance can linger inside the body and cause various symptoms. Hyperbaric oxygenation helps wash these gases out of the body by gradually forcing oxygen in as a replacement.
After a severe injury, sometimes it can be difficult for physicians to completely stop any minor internal bleeding. There are also cases where pressure builds inside a person’s brain after some kind of head trauma. Hyperbaric oxygenation can shrink a person’s blood vessels, which can reduce any kind of bleeding that may be occurring, and reduce pressure inside the brain.
Certain manufacturers of hyperbaric chambers have advertised many other uses for hyperbaric oxygenation, including the aforementioned alleged ability to treat cancer and AIDS. Other examples include lyme disease, arthritis, heart disease, and bacterial illnesses. According to many experts, these claims are inaccurate. Others say that these benefits may exist, but they haven’t been tested, and it may not be wise to rely on them.
