Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, uses higher than normal atmospheric pressured oxygen to surround the entire body in a sealed chamber. The intermittent application of the therapy uses 100 percent oxygen as opposed to the 20 percent oxygen/80 percent nitrogen mix normally found in the air and the atmospheric pressure in the chamber may be increased to as much as twice the normal pressure found outside the chamber. There are some noted benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
CO Poisoning Treatment
HBOT has been an effective treatment for those who have experienced carbon monoxide poisoning. The treatment increases the supply of oxygen to the brain that has been affected by carbon monoxide so that the brain can return to more normal functioning. MayoClinic.com states that HBOT can also be helpful in treating decompression sickness.
Promotes Wound Healing
The increased oxygen concentration in blood and tissue produced by HBOT can help promote wound healing. Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Centers state the treatment can dissolve oxygen into blood cells, tissue and bodily fluids at up to 10 times the normal amount. This action helps stimulate growth of new cells with increased blood circulation to damaged tissue in wounds to promote more rapid healing.
Helps Fight Infection
HBOT helps fight infection by stimulating white blood cell action. The body produces the antioxidant superoxide dismutase, or SOD, which is also a free radical scavenger, according to Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Centers. The increase in SOD and activation of white blood cells brought about by HBOT combine to help fight infection and rejuvenate compromised bodily organs.
Possible Stroke Treatment
Using HBOT to treat stroke victims has been touted as a possible activation of parts of the brain traumatized by a stroke. Other possible therapeutic applications from atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease to cerebral palsy, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and macular degeneration have been put forward, but MayoClinic.com states that more research is needed before claims for treatment of stroke and other maladies can be made for HBOT.
