You might have heard about hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It’s believed that this might be able to help with a range of illnesses. But what is this type of therapy and how will can you put it to use? Here is everything you need to know about hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?
This type of treatment requires you to breathe in pure oxygen. Often, this will be taking place in a highly pressurized environment. In this chamber, the air pressure will be two to three times than it is outside. This is designed to help your lungs increase the amount of oxygen they are taking in.
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
This treatment has been around for a while. It was traditionally used as a way of helping divers who had developed compression sickness. In this case, the fast ascent to the surface had caused the amount of nitrogen in their bloodstream to rise to dangerous levels. Being put into the chamber allowed the blood flow to return to normal. This prevents their body tissues from being seriously impacted, limiting the long-term implications of this illness.
However, this isn’t the only illness that can be treated by using a compression chamber. There is a range of other hyperbaric chamber benefits. The body tissue will require oxygen to start the healing process. In some cases, increasing the amount of oxygen present will increase the speed at which you recover. It might also be used as a way to fight infections.
There is a range of diseases, that hyperbaric oxygen therapy might be able to help treat. These can include; gangrene, sudden vision or hearing loss, a crushing injury, and brain abscesses. There are even some studies that suggest it can be useful for treating mental health issues. For example, there is some research exploring it could be used for PTSD, though more studies are needed to make a definitive conclusion in this aspect.
In most cases, the risks of this treatment are low, with most patients not experiencing any negative side effects.
How Many Sessions Will You Require?
How often you will need to attend a hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment will depend on the type of injury you have and how severe it is. Sometimes, you might only need one session. This is most common after something like decompression sickness. On the other hand, if there is an ongoing injury, like an infection, you might require multiple sessions.
Using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
If your doctor thinks that you could benefit from this treatment, you will need to find a way of accessing it. You will need to find hyperbaric oxygen treatment centers. These areas will have the specialized equipment required to perform the therapy. They will also have staff trained in this specialist area, so you will always be kept safe.
Conclusion
There are plenty of benefits that have been linked to hyperbaric chambers. They are effective for treating everything from compression sickness to serious infections. New research is further expanding the people who might benefit from this type of treatment. Plus, the equipment needed to perform this treatment is becoming easier to access. Hopefully, this will shed some light on what those undergoing this therapy can expect.
