Hyperbaric therapy is a medical treatment that utilizes a pressure chamber to help increase the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. When a patient is placed in a pressure chamber, he or she receives 100% oxygen at about two times greater pressure than he would get in normal atmospheric pressure. These treatments are said to aid in the healing process of wounds, help in recovery after certain types of poisoning, and help cure some types of infections or chronic conditions.
The term hyperbaric therapy is typically used to refer to the treatment of the whole body with 100% oxygen in a highly pressurized environment. This form of therapy is often used to help treat diseased or ischemic tissue by introducing extra oxygen into the bloodstream. When this is done, infected tissue may become detoxified, the blood vessels narrow, and the amount of gaseous bubbles become reduced in the blood; aerobic metabolism is restored in ischemic tissues, and the process of phagocytosis is enhanced. This treatment is mainly based on Henry's law of physics, which states that an increase of atmospheric pressure will allow more gas to be dissolved in any liquid. Since the human body is made up of a significant amount of water, and oxygen becomes a gas at room temperature, a patient undergoing hyperbaric therapy is likely to absorb more oxygen.
Hyperbaric therapy is best known for treating wounds and infections. These treatments are thought to be effective in healing infected or dying soft tissue, as they are said to not only increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, but may also enhance the actions of white blood cells. In addition, this therapy is said to stimulate certain antioxidants that are naturally produced in the body and encourage the growth of new blood vessels. As well as being used as a treatment for wounds, this therapy is also occasionally used to help treat patients recovering from stroke or brain injuries, autistic children, for scuba diving accidents, and a number of degenerative disorders.
Although hyperbaric therapy is considered relatively safe, some people may experience side effects. Some of the most common side effects include ear or sinus pain, anxiety, or a feeling of panic due to the enclosed space. Rarely, patients may develop more severe complications that can include fluid in the ears, changes in vision, or a maturing of preexisting cataracts, pneumothorax and cerebral air embolisms, or oxygen toxicity.
