Under normal conditions, the atmosphere contains 20 percent oxygen. Air, by and large, consists of another gas, nitrogen, at around 80 percent. As normal atmospheric pressure is nearly 15 lbs. for every square inch, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), 100 percent oxygen is delivered at two to three times normal atmospheric pressure. It is used to treat a myriad of medical conditions and has now become a topic of study and research in the United States as it shows promise of success with treating several other disease conditions as well.
Function
When an individual receives hyperbaric oxygen treatment, they are placed inside of a sealed oxygen chamber. Hyperbaric vessels can be made of traditional steel and aluminum, or portable plastic. Breathing normally, pure oxygen is inhaled as it gradually fills the vessel and reaches prescribed pressure. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers can accommodate one person or several at once depending upon its type. A typical treatment may last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. As the treatment comes to an end, the pressure of the vessel is gradually decreased to normal atmospheric pressure.
Hyperbaric oxygen increases the level of oxygen within the blood, tissues and organs of the body. Helping the body to fight infection, pure pressurized oxygen aids in the healing of difficult wounds as new tissues and blood vessels develop. It also aids in riding the body of carbon monoxide.
History
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy first began to be used only as a treatment for "the bends" or decompression sickness in the 1940s. Decompression sickness is a condition brought on by the accumulation of nitrogen "bubbles" in the body of scuba divers and miners. Occurring usually within six hours of resurfacing, it is marked by deep musculoskeletal pain, weakness, fatigue and confusion.
The first hyperbaric oxygen chamber was invented in 1662 in Britain.
Indications
According to the U.S.Food and Drug Administration, the Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for proper hyperbaric oxygen use. (Reference 3)
The UHMS has listed 13 such conditions which have been approved for hyperbaric oxygen therapy:
--Air embolism
--Burns
--Anemia
--Carbon-monoxide poisoning
--Cyanide poisoning
--Clostridial myositis and myonecrosis ( also call gas gangrene, muscle-tissue death)
--Compartment syndrome and crush injuries
--Decompression sickness
--Healing enhancement of problem wounds
--Intracranial abscess
--Necrotic soft-tissue infection
--Refractory osteomyelitis
--Necrosis of soft tissue and bone due to radiation (occurring months to years past radiation exposure, typically from radiation therapy, a treatment for cancer)
--Compromised skin grafts and flaps
Considerations
Although minimal, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has some associated risks and side effects such as headaches, ear-popping, claustrophobia and tiredness. Because oxygen is delivered at pressures higher than the atmosphere, oxygen toxicity can develop. Symptoms include vision problems (myopia), mental confusion, lung collapse and seizures. People with congestive heart failure can experience an exacerbation of symptoms. It is important to note that with HBOT, there is a potential explosion or fire risk as pure oxygen gas is extremely flammable.
HBOT is contraindicated for pregnant women unless circumstances are extremely serious, and no other treatment options are available. There is a high risk of lung collapse for those with pneumothorax and emphysema. Pneumothorax is a condition resulting from air or gas trapped inside of the pleural space of the lungs causing partial lung collapse. The pleural space is an area between the pleura, a two-layered membrane covering the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath ranging from little to severe, chest pain, and a dry cough. Except in cases where the pneumothorax is of large size, the lungs will gradually inflate and the air is absorbed.
Potential
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has emerged as a promising new method of treatment for those suffering from fibromyalgia.The National Institutes of Health reported on a study conducted at a military hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, which administered hyperbaric oxygen treatments to a group of people with fibromyalgia. The control group received only a placebo. Symptoms of pain and tender points were assessed after the first and 15th treatments in both groups. It was found that HBOT had significantly increased pain thresholds and lowered the number of tender points in the group with fibromyalgia. No improvement was notable for those within the control group. Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a rheumatic condition characterized by pain and stiffness of the joints and muscles of the body. Other marked symptoms include fatigue, mental confusion, problems with sleep, numbness or tingling, restless leg syndrome and gastrointestinal problems. Currently, fibromyalgia has no cure.
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