Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) delivers a powerful dose of oxygen to your body's tissues.
Here, we break this down so there isn't so much medical jargon you can't understand it.
The benefits of hyperbaric chambers:
Increased Pressure: A person enters the hyperbaric chamber where the air pressure is significantly higher than the normal atmospheric pressure. It can be 2-3 times higher. Mild hyperbaric chambers start at 1.3 ATA in pressure, and hard-sided hyperbaric chambers that are most commonly found in hospitals can go up to 2.5 to 3.0 ATA.
Enhanced Oxygen Absorption: The increased oxygen pressure allows you to absorb more oxygen than you could at a normal pressure. If you are at sea level, the air you breathe is approximately 21% oxygen by volume.
Imagine your lungs working like balloons; higher pressure allows them to hold more oxygen.
Oxygen-rich Plasma: The extra oxygen dissolves in your blood plasma, the liquid part of your blood, creating oxygen-rich plasma circulating throughout your body.
What does this really mean? Hyperbaric oxygen packs your blood with extra oxygen, giving your body a supercharged boost.
Benefits for Tissues: the oxygen-rich plasma reaches tissues deprived of oxygen due to injury, infection, or other chronic conditions.
This extra oxygen helps in several ways:
- Healing promotes wound healing by stimulating growth factors and blood vessel formation. Damaged or poorly circulated tissues usually have low oxygen levels.
- Fighting Infection: Increasing oxygen levels can directly inhibit the growth of certain bacteria or parasites.
- Inflammation: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help reduce swelling around injuries, the brain, or joints and improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to those affected areas. When inflammation in our body is decreased, pain can diminish.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the effects of inflammation could be one reason oxygen therapy is becoming more popular with Lyme disease. Lyme disease can cause inflammation, resulting in body and joint pain and tissue damage.
Hyperbaric oxygen may also increase oxygen delivery to the brain tissue; therefore, patients have reported it to help with concussions, traumatic brain injury, and autism.
Inflammation is often the first sign of an injury or illness in the body. While it's crucial to healing, chronic inflammation can damage tissues and contribute to many diseases. The exciting news is that by reducing inflammation with a hyperbaric chamber, we can help our bodies start to repair themselves more effectively.
How long do I spend in a hyperbaric chamber?
The amount of time a person spends in a hyperbaric chamber depends on several factors, including:
- The medical condition being treated: Different conditions require different exposure durations for optimal results.
- Treatment plan: Your doctor will determine a specific pressure level and duration based on your individual needs. If you don't have a hyperbaric-trained physician, then contact Healing The Hyperbaric Way, and we will connect you with a hyperbaric specialist.
- Tolerance: Some people may experience ear discomfort or other side effects due to the nature of their illness that limit their time in the hyperbaric chamber. Doctors commonly advise starting slowly and working your way up in minutes.
A typical hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) session lasts 60-90 minutes, anywhere from 3-6 days per week, depending on what you are treating.
Are there any specific medical conditions for which hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not recommended?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is very simple, noninvasive, and generally considered a safe procedure. Serious reactions are very rare and typically not seen at lower dosages such as 1.3 ATA.
The only absolute contraindication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an untreated pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Anyone needing to enter a hyperbaric chamber with an untreated pneumothorax must have a chest tube inserted and evaluated by a physician before entering a hyperbaric chamber.
What are the potential side effects or risks associated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
The most common issue is that patients complain of ear discomfort, which is similar to what it feels like when you are congested when an airplane lands. Slowly pressurizing and depressurizing the hyperbaric chamber and making routine stops can alleviate ear pain and eliminate further complications. For more information, check out this article on Clearing Your Ears in a Hyperbaric Chamber.
In conclusion, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is gaining recognition as a promising treatment for a variety of conditions. By delivering elevated oxygen levels to the body, HBOT supports physical healing, energetic health, and overall well-being. With its relatively low risk profile, it offers a potential avenue for boosting immune function and restoring health.
Learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy with our common FAQ's and answers.