When is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Used?

by Jason Ryser

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, is a type of therapy that involves the patient entering a chamber filled with highly concentrated oxygen. 

The intent of this therapy is repairing body tissue and restoring normal body function. The oxygen within the chamber is typically concentrated to 1.5 to 3 times the average amount. 

Oxygen therapy, including HBOT, has been rising in popularity in recent years and new uses are still being discovered.

Here’s a look at some of the most common uses of this unique type of therapy.

Early Uses of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

The very first hyperbaric chamber in the United States was built in 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built under direction of Dr. Orval J. Cunningham, who successfully treated a patient with the flu using hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Following this success, he theorized that the therapy could be used to treat cancer and diabetes. He later abandoned this theory and had the chamber dismantled after his attempt to treat these ailments failed.

Despite the lack of success in treating cancer and diabetes, therapy using hyperbaric chambers continued. In the 1940s the U.S. Navy used HBOT to treat deep sea divers with decompression sickness, and in the 60s it was discovered that the therapy could also treat carbon monoxide poisoning.

How Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Used Today?

The medical and technological advances of recent years have made HBOT more accessible and broadened its scope of uses. Decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning are still treated with the therapy, as well as many other ailments, including:

  • Severe anemia
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Gangrene
  • Diabetic ulcers and other skin wounds
  • Sudden deafness
  • Vision loss
  • Brain abscess
  • Severe burns
  • Radiation injury
  • Cyanide poisoning
  • Infections of the bone
  • Lyme disease
  • Inflammation
  • Sports injuries

The applications for HBOT may seem endless, but there are some situations where it shouldn’t be used and can even be harmful. Patients who’ve undergone recent ear surgery or ear trauma, have a cold or a fever, or suffer from lung disease should not seek out oxygen treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. 

Why Choose Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

If you’re suffering from any of the ailments listed above, you might be wondering how oxygen therapy can help. Here are some of the benefits of HBOT:

  • HBOT brings much needed oxygen to oxygen-deprived tissues in your body to promote healing.
  • Your body’s immune system is strengthened from HBOT. It stops harmful bacteria from forming infection in the body.
  • HBOT helps new blood vessels form and spurs the growth of new skin cells and tissue. 

O2 Assist is Here

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a myriad of uses and can treat a wide variety of health complications. That’s why O2 Assist is here to provide the latest technology for oxygen therapy. We have clinical consultants at the ready to work with our patients to develop a personalized treatment plan using our portable oxygen concentrators. See how oxygen therapy can help improve your life. Contact O2 Assist today!

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