Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a form of treatment that uses pure oxygen to stimulate your natural healing process. The therapy can treat several different medical conditions that have caused damage to your body’s tissues. If you suspect you are someone who can benefit from time in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, here is a closer look at what it involves.
How does it work?
HBO therapy takes place in a pressurized room, or chamber, where the air pressure is three times higher than normal air pressure. This increase allows for you lungs to breathe more oxygen that is then carried through the body by your blood. The high amount of oxygen promotes the release of growth factors and stem cells, which helps you heal.
Who is a candidate?
Oxygen is required for all your body's tissues to function properly. When your tissue becomes damaged or injured, even more oxygen is needed. If you have a medical condition that has impaired your tissue function, you can benefit from this therapy. The following conditions are treated by HBO therapy:
- Air/gas embolism
- Severe anemia
- Brain abscess
- Burns
- Decompression sickness
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Compartment syndrome
- Crushing injuries
- Sudden deafness
- Gangrene
- Infection of skin or bone that causes tissue death
- Non-healing wounds, such as a diabetic foot ulcers
- Osteoradionecrosis
- Radiation injury
- Refractory osteomyelitis
- Severe blood loss
- Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue death
- Smoke inhalation
- Some acute traumatic ischemia
- Sudden vision loss
What are the risks of hyperbaric oxygen chambers?
Although HBO therapy is typically safe and complications are rare, it does come with some risks. These include:
- Myopia, which is temporary nearsightedness caused by temporary eye lens changes
- Middle ear injuries, such as leaking fluid and eardrum rupture, caused by increased air pressure
- Barotrauma, which is lung collapse due to air pressure changes
- Seizures caused by too much oxygen in your central nervous system
How does the procedure work?
HBO therapy can be done at a private clinic, but your insurance may require that it be done at the hospital.
The procedure will take place in either a clear plastic tube designed for 1 person or in a chamber that can accommodate a small group of people. If in a room, you will receive oxygen through a mask that covers your face or through a clear hood that is placed over your head. Due to the increased air pressure, you may feel a temporary fullness in your ears, similar to when flying on an airplane.
For most conditions, the session will last a couple hours. Feeling tired or hungry after the procedure is common.
How many sessions do you need?
The number of HBO sessions you need will depend on your condition. Some can be treated in a few, while other conditions require up to 40 sessions.
For the majority of conditions, HBO therapy is part of a treatment plan that also includes other therapies and drugs. However, if you have decompression sickness, arterial gas embolism, or severe carbon monoxide poisoning, then HBO alone will be enough to successfully treat your condition.
