What is it about ?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat decompression sickness and air embolism. Decompression sickness occurs when a person, after being in an environment where the pressure of the air breathed is high, returns to an environment where the pressure is lower. It is also sometimes called a diving accident. In air embolism, air enters the bloodstream directly where it forms a gas bubble. This can occur as a medical complication, but also as a consequence of increased air pressure in the lungs.
During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the body receives 10 to 15 times more oxygen. The effects are as follows:
- The gas bubbles become smaller, and their dissolution is faster;
- The oxygen supply to the tissues increases, which leads to a decrease in the swelling of the tissues;
- Wounds that have developed due to a lack of oxygen heal faster;
- New blood vessels in areas lacking oxygen are formed more easily with the supply of oxygen.
- In the event of infection, the supply of oxygen slows down the growth of certain bacteria and the production of their toxins;
- The supply of oxygen increases the effectiveness of certain antibiotics and activates the antibacterial power of white blood cells in tissues that lack oxygen.
Oxygen therapy is applied in the following cases:
- Diving accidents,
- Air embolism,
- CO poisoning and inhalation of fumes,
- Gas gangrene and other infections that present a risk of tissue necrosis (e.g. deep neck infections), as an adjunct to surgery and antibiotics,
- Chronic problematic wounds,
- Wounds Due To Diabetes,
- Irradiation of the jaw,
- Inflammation of the rectum and bladder following radiation therapy,
- Cerebral lesion – brain-damage,
- Sudden deafness / acute acoustic trauma,
- Tumor hypersensitivity to radiotherapy.
- etc.
How is it applied?
Before starting hyperbaric oxygen therapy, an electrocardiogram (ECG, recording of heart activity) and an x-ray of the lungs are performed.
Due to the oxygen-rich environment in the hyperbaric chamber, the risk of fire is increased. This is why you are not allowed to wear a fleece sweater or bring deodorant, for example. You will receive the necessary instructions before the start of treatment.
During the treatment, you will be sitting or lying in a hyperbaric chamber in the hospital. In the hyperbaric chamber, the pressure is 2.4 to 2.8 times higher than normal atmospheric pressure. This corresponds to a diving depth of 14 to 18 meters. Through a mouth mask, you inhale pure oxygen, alternating with short periods of breathing in normal ambient air. The pressure difference between the oxygen in the blood and the oxygen in the tissues allows the cells to get as much oxygen as possible.
Usually, you stay 90 minutes in the treatment room, 5-7 times a week, until you have no more symptoms or no further improvement is seen.
What are the contraindications?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not used in patients with untreated pneumothorax or when using certain drugs, and should be avoided in patients with claustrophobia, upper respiratory tract infection with or without high fever, tendency to seizures, a history of spontaneous pneumothorax, emphysema, permanent damage after surgery to the chest, and hereditary spherocytosis (a type of inherited anemia in which the red blood cells are abnormal in shape).
What can you do ?
At the start of the treatment session, the pressure is increased. This causes an increase in the ambient temperature. At the end of the session, the pressure is lowered again, resulting in a drop in temperature. So wear clothes that you can easily take off and put back on. You can feel the pressure in the eardrums; it can be painful. For this to pass, it is often enough to swallow, yawn, chew or perform the Valsalva maneuver, which consists of pinching your nose with your mouth closed, and blowing as if to blow your nose.
Is it safe?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a safe treatment; there are few side effects. After the treatment session, you may feel a little tired. Ear problems are possible if, when the pressure was increased, you had difficulty unblocking your ears (for example in case of a cold). A decongestant in the form of nasal drops and a short period of rest can help. Temporary myopia occurs in 30% of cases; it is due to the effect of oxygen on the lens. Oxygen poisoning is rare (1 in 3,300 sessions); it is responsible for short-lived convulsions. This is explained by the action of oxygen on the nervous system. It is transitory, and there are no after-effects. Certain medications, fever and sepsis (blood poisoning) increase the risk of seizures in these circumstances. In this case, you will breathe normal room air and receive a pain reliever.
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