Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen while in a pressurized chamber. The treatment increases the amount of oxygen absorbed by the blood and carried to the body tissues. Common indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy include treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning; gangrene and other serious skin wounds; bone infections and decompression sickness. The risks associated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy relate to the increased pressure on the body and the potentially toxic effects of highly-concentrated oxygen.
Serous Otitis Media
The pressure in the hyperbaric oxygen treatment chamber is two to three times greater than the air pressure at sea level, reports Creighton University Medical Center. Exposure to this high pressure may adversely affect the middle ear, causing a buildup of fluid known as serous otitis media.
Patients with serous otitis media often experience temporary hearing difficulties and sounds have a muffled quality. Hearing loss occurs because the eardrum cannot vibrate due to the presence of fluid in the middle ear. Some patients may require a small incision in the eardrum to relieve middle ear pressure. In most patients, serous otitis media gradually resolves after the completion of hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
Eardrum Rupture
Eardrum rupture is a rare complication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, reports New York University's Langone Medical Center. This complication occurs when the difference in pressure between the middle and outer ear stretches the eardrum to the point of rupture. Most cases of eardrum rupture heal without permanent hearing loss.
Vision Changes
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may cause vision changes, reports the American Cancer Society. Most people who experience this side effect notice decreased visual clarity when looking at distant images, which is a condition known as myopia or nearsightedness. This complication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy may persist for several weeks or months after the completion of treatment.
Worsening Cataract
Patients with cataracts, or clouding of the eye lens, may experiencing worsening of the condition with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, reports the Canadian government-sponsored website Health Canada. The worsening of a cataract may necessitate treatment if associated with significant visual impairment.
Seizures
Patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy may develop seizures, although this complication proves rare. In a November 2007 study published in the medical journal "BioMed Central Pediatrics," Dr. Daniel Rossignol and colleagues report that the incidence of new-onset seizures is approximately one to three for every 10,000 hyperbaric oxygen treatments.
Collapsed Lung
Pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, is a rare complication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, according to Creighton University Medical Center. The condition occurs when the pressure changes associated with hyperbaric therapy cause a hole in the lung. Gas escapes into the chest cavity, leading to lung collapse. Treatment varies depending on the size of the air pocket in the chest. Most patients with a pneumothorax recover without permanent lung damage.
References
- Creighton University Medical Center School of Medicine: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- New York University Langone Medical Center: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- American Cancer Society: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- Health Canada: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- "BioMed Central Pediatrics"; The Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Symptoms in Children with Autism: An Open-label Pilot Study; Daniel A Rossignol, M.D., et al.; November 2007
