Oxygen is essential for life. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, is a form of therapy that delivers 100% oxygen to the body at high pressures. Read on to learn about the approved and off-label uses of HBOT and when it can be dangerous.<\/p>\n
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Oxygen therapy is the use of supplemental oxygen to treat a variety of medical conditions. There are two main types of oxygen therapies available:<\/p>\n
Normobaric oxygen therapy<\/strong> is supplemental oxygen administered at the same pressure of our atmosphere (1 atm). Depending on the medical condition, 40 to 100% of saturated oxygen is delivered to the body.<\/p>\n As excessive oxygen can be harmful<\/strong>, normobaric oxygen therapy should be carefully supervised by a doctor. In the absence of correct medical supervision, normobaric oxygen therapy can also cause heart disease, inflammation, diabetes, and aging [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy<\/strong> is 100% saturated supplemental oxygen delivered at higher atmospheric pressures. Patients are placed in a high pressure, full body chamber (hyperbaric chamber). This increases oxygen delivery to all of the tissues of the body [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Treatment schedules of hyperbaric oxygen therapy vary between 60 to 120 minutes, 1 or more times daily [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is approved for the treatment of a number of conditions such as air or gas embolisms, burns, diabetic wounds, and traumatic ischemia.<\/p>\n Blood is made up of 4 components: Plasma, red blood cells<\/a>, white blood cells<\/a>, and platelets. Oxygen is transported through red blood cells that contain the protein hemoglobin<\/a>. Hemoglobin is an iron<\/a>-containing protein that oxygen can bind to [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The only differences between normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are the pressure that they\u2019re applied at and the method of delivery. Both forms of therapy increase the amount of oxygen that is delivered in the blood [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n With hyperbaric oxygen therapy, there is a 10 to 20 fold increase in blood plasma oxygen. It also induces an increase in red blood cells [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In clinical and animal studies, hyperbaric oxygen therapy promoted [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy causes the controlled release of reactive oxygen species<\/a> (ROS) in damaged and infected tissues [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The enhanced healing action of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is due to its direct antifungal activity mediated by reversal of fungal growth and restoration of a protective immune response [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a potentially lifesaving medical procedure that should only be conducted by a medical professional. If you suspect that you have any of the following conditions, seek medical attention immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n Scuba diving with a compressed air supply can cause decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism, a potentially lethal event [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Decompression sickness is caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues of scuba divers who surface too quickly [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Arterial gas embolisms happen after decompression sickness. The gas bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues travel within the blood and block the supply of blood to the lungs (pulmonary vein) [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n According to the US Navy 6 treatment manual, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the preferred way to treat decompression sickness [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is most successful in treating decompression illness within 24 hours of surfacing [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In a clinical case report, a single session of emergency hyperbaric oxygen therapy removed the gas and air bubbles in the patient\u2019s blood vessels, hip, lower spine, brain sinuses, and joints [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also protected rats from spinal cord injury during simulated diving [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In rabbits, hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduced lung injury caused by decompression sickness [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Air embolism is caused by the introduction of air bubbles into the bloodstream which blocks arteries.<\/p>\n Air embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of surgical procedures and causes serious damage to the brain, heart, and lungs [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Clinical symptoms of an air embolism depend on the location of the air bubble or bubbles in the body. Early treatment is critical for survival [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n A clinical case study of a patient suffering from an air embolism after open heart surgery showed complete recovery after 7 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n A clinical case study of an immunocompromised patient with air embolism showed that emergency hyperbaric oxygen therapy cured brain (ischemic) stroke symptoms caused by an invasive fungal infection [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Carbon monoxide can displace oxygen in the blood. This reduces the amount of oxygen supplied to tissues.<\/p>\n In a population-based study of 7,287 patients suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduced the death rate and improved patient lifespan. Therapy was more effective in younger patients (<20) and patients with acute lung failure [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In rats with acute carbon monoxide poisoning, hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduced brain damage and behavior abnormalities [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy also protected rats from oxygen toxicity caused by cyanide poisoning [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n<\/a>Mechanism<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Health Benefits<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Approved Uses of HBOT<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>1) Decompression Illness<\/h4>\n
<\/a>2) Air Embolism<\/h4>\n
<\/a>3) Carbon Monoxide Poisoning<\/h4>\n