Let us first begin by figuring out what specifically hyperbaric oxygen remedy is. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves inhaling 100% oxygen at greater than 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA) in a pressurized chamber. Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers breathe at sea level is defined as 1 ATA.

Many of the clinical uses of hyperbaric remedies carried out in fixed or transportable hyperbaric chambers have been at pressures above 1.5 ATA. Nevertheless, recently, some researchers have been working with decrease pressures of hyperbaric oxygen therapy with great outcomes in some situations. The abbreviation conventionally utilized for hyperbaric oxygen therapy is HBOT.

What truly takes place in a transportable hyperbaric chamber-?

HBOT increases the amount of oxygen that is carried in the plasma. Generally, hemoglobin which circulates in the blood stream carries nearly all of the oxygen in our physique to tissues.

Only .3% of oxygen is dissolved in the plasma which is the fluid in our blood vessels not counting the red cells, white cells and platelets. Hemoglobin is generally 97% saturated or complete of

oxygen.

Even so, with HBOT, the amount of oxygen that is dissolved into the plasma can increase a lot of fold. In truth, some animal research have shown that hyperbaric oxygen treatment can retain an animal alive devoid of circulating red blood cells. There is an old paper known as “Life with out blood” that studied this in a pig. As a result, in circumstances exactly where hypoxia (or decreased amount of oxygen) is present, such as with decreased blood flow, we would expect HBOT to assist overcome this issue.

Interestingly, HBOT causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels which in fact causes decreased blood flow. On the other hand, mainly because it increases the quantity of oxygen in plasma so a great deal, the all round result is enhanced oxygen delivery to tissue. Due to the fact it causes decreased blood flow, hyperbaric oxygen treatment decreases swelling, like swelling in the brain, immediately after injury or ischemia.

1 of the properties of HBOT that is hardly ever discussed is the anti-inflammatory impact of HBOT. Quite a few animal studies have revealed that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has potent anti-inflammatory tissue effects with equivalence to diclofenac 20 mg/kg noted in a single study making use of HBOT at 2.4 ATA and one hundred% oxygen.

Hyperbaric oxygen remedy generally conducted in a transportable hyperbaric chamber has also been shown to reduce markers of inflammation which includes IL-1, IL-six and TNF-á in humans. So we get decreased blood flow, increased oxygenation, decreased swelling and decreased inflammation, all from 1 treatment.

How safe is HBOT?

There have been many research in adults and kids which have established the security of HBOT. The most common side impact of HBOT is middle ear barotrauma where the ear drum gets irritated, bleeds or even ruptures. This occurs in roughly two% of sufferers. The incidence of this is decreased with pseudoephedrine therapy before HBOT.

Much less frequent side effects in descending order incorporate sinus squeeze which is a sharp pain in the sinus, serous otitis which is fluid make-up behind the eardrum, claustrophobia, and reversible myopia which is nearsightedness. Seizures may take place infrequently in about 1-3 out of ten,000 sufferers. Higher pressures in particular more than two-3 ATA have a higher incidence of side effects. We will need to remember that oxygen is a drug. And just like any drug, it has useful effects at a certain dose, but also higher of a dose can enhance side effects.