Hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT involves breathing pure oxygen at a special sealed chamber or smaller room. The main use of this therapy is to cure diving-related sickness, but it can also improve healing in those with other medical conditions. It was first built by a surgeon in the 1960s, and since then, many different models have been improved on. The improved models are now used for several different applications.
An example of the application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is when someone is recovering from a heart attack. The patient will be placed in a chamber that is about two to three feet below sea level pressure. Sea level pressure is what the heart is set at during a heart attack, so when this pressure is lowered, the heart pump is able to work at a normal efficiency.
Patients who suffer from decompression sickness are often placed in a hyperbaric chamber as well. This is because the decompression sickness develops when there is low blood oxygen in the patient's system. This condition can be caused by heart failure, respiratory problems or even lung damage due to smoking. The hyperbaric chamber can help to treat all these conditions, as well as some others that cannot be treated using conventional treatments.
Some patients with respiratory problems will benefit from using a hyperbaric chamber as well. If a patient has had trouble breathing after having a prior asthma attack, he or she may find that using this therapy can help them feel better and have fewer attacks. This is because hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps to increase the amount of oxygen the body receives. Because more oxygen is in supply, the body can function at its optimum efficiency. It is known that many of these symptoms of COPD develop as a result of low oxygen levels in the body. Treating this oxygen toxicity can help to reduce the symptoms associated with these diseases.
In addition to its ability to treat illnesses and those with respiratory issues, hyperbaric chamber therapy can also be used to treat many psychological disorders as well. This is due to the fact that many of these illnesses develop as a result of the brain not receiving enough pure oxygen while the individual sleeps. This can result in emotional symptoms such as irritability and depression. By allowing the body to receive pure oxygen through a tube that is partially submerged in the stomach, the effects of these negative emotions are lessened. Because many mental disorders can be connected to physical ailments, including the common cold, the hyperbaric chamber allows for the relief of both conditions simultaneously.
A number of children suffer from epilepsy, an illness that has no current cure. In order to control the number of seizures a child experiences, the medication must often be administered. However, recent studies have found that hyperbaric chambers may help to alleviate the effects of epilepsy in a way that is both safe and effective. The hyperbaric chamber can provide a non-susceptible electrical current that is safe for the body to handle. Since this form of treatment does not require the use of medications or surgery, it is a treatment that can be offered to a child with no risk to the patient's health.
Wounds that are severe after a traumatic event often do not heal properly. While surgery is often recommended, this procedure often leaves small open wounds that can become infected and thus render the area useless for wound healing. Hyperbaric therapy provides a clean, oxygenated environment that will improve the rate of healing of these types of injuries. Additionally, hyperbaric chambers also provide the patient with the ability to stay in the chamber for extended periods of time as needed.
The oxygen saturation levels in the chamber are typically between ninety-five and one hundred twenty-five percent. As a result, oxygenated gases will be present throughout the entire length of the chamber, which will stimulate healing even when no external stimuli are present. Hyperbaric chambers can be used for many different purposes and will prove useful in many situations. Many doctors and physicians are currently using the chamber for treating several different medical conditions and have found them to be highly effective at healing the body's tissues and organs.
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