Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a process of supplying pure oxygen to the person who has suffered decompression sickness or scuba diving risk probabilities under a pressurized and compact environment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used to treat some chronic infections, removing air space from the blood vessels. It proves as hyperbaric chambers for wound healing in case of treating diabetes or radiation injuries.
Under Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the air pressure of the chamber is increased by three times in comparison to normal air pressure enabling the person’s lungs to accumulate a massive amount of oxygen for later utilization. An excess amount of oxygen in the body helps it stimulate more stem cells responsible for healing and fast recovery.
Reason of doing Hyperbaric therapy
When the tissues of the person’s body are poorly ruptured and find it difficult to cover up and heal the wound at its natural pace, hyperbaric chambers for wound healing become the best solution. The additional amount of oxygen provided through Hyperbaric oxygen therapy aids the tissues and cells to recover speedily in everyday situations.
Besides treating wounds, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also used for numerous purposes based on the recommendations and prescriptions of the physician. Some of the commonly cured health issues with this therapy are acute anemia, brain abscess, air bubbles in the blood vessels, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, crushing injury, deafness, decompression sickness, gangrene, and infection of skin/bone caused due to death of tissues. On the other hand, no healing and irrecoverable wounds caused by diabetic ulcers, radiation injuries, skin breakouts arising out of tissue death, severe brain injuries, or vision loss are treated through the Hyperbaric chamber for wound healing cure.
Risks
Though Hyperbaric oxygen therapy comes as a more health favorable and secured treatment for treating deep wounds and other health issues, it is not entirely free of side effects and later develops health consequences. Some of the most commonly observed negative impacts of the treatment are here.
Some of the most frequently predicted and seen health risks and side effects of using a Hyperbaric chamber for wound healing.
1. Middle ear injuries: There are probabilities of stimulating fluid leakage from the glands within the ears and intense damage to the eardrum (might rupture) because of higher air pressure than the usual conditions.
2. Temporary nearsightedness (myopia): The potential of transient changes in the eye lens and nerves is relatively high. Which is due to the sudden and quick air pressure on the eyes of the person undergoing Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
3. Lung collapse- The person’s lungs might collapse and be damaged severely due to the intense and high air pressure changes in the entire respiratory canal.
4. Seizures- Excess of even good and beneficial things and elements is as bad as scarcity of the resource. Similarly, a high amount of oxygen in the person’s entire system following Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may cause oxygen toxicity. Oxygen toxicity occurs when an unwanted and massive amount of oxygen reaches the central nervous system.
5. Lowered blood sugar- People who have diabetes may experience a lower rate of sugar content in the blood due to a sudden rise in the level of oxygen in the body. Though the person may receive insulin doses from recovering from the condition, the situation worsens.
6. Fire- There are high chances of getting the environment heated and resulting in fire because of the intensely oxygen-rich atmosphere in the surrounding. However, the potential of such circumstances is rare and weak.
How to prepare
The Hospitals and treatment centers providing Hyperbaric oxygen therapy have an entire staff and support system to smoothen and make the complete process safe and healthy. Under the same, the patient is prohibited from taking any lighters or battery-powered pieces of equipment to omit the chances of catching fire.
Even the patient must remove all the petroleum-based products such as lotions, hair conditioners, or oils. Moreover, the person needs to get rid of the hair before going to the hyperbaric chambers for wound healing. The patients have to replace their clothes with a hospital gown to prevent the probable hazard out of any accident from the patient’s side.
Additionally, the readily available healthcare team helps the patients explain the instructions and support them throughout the process.
What can expect during hyperbaric oxygen therapy
The complete process of using a hyperbaric chamber for wound healing is an outpatient procedure and can be executed in two forms/types.
1. Single-unit – Under this, one person is designed a unit individually. The person lies down on the table, slowly slides towards a plastic chamber filled with oxygen.
2. Accommodation for several people. In a hyperbaric oxygen room, many people are accommodated at the same time. The people can either sit or lie down on the tables. The oxygen is provided via a mask over the person’s face, whereas in some cases, a hood is placed over the head of the light, clear, and wearable person.
Whichever may be the method out of the ones mentioned above, the benefits are precisely the same. The person undergoing a Hyperbaric chamber for wound healing may experience a sudden air filled in the ears and around (somewhat similar to the feeling of being in-plane or in a high elevator) but yawning or swallowing can prove to be helping in relieving the increased air pressure.
The entire process of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy takes approximately 2 hours. However, the process may take a few minutes here or there, and throughout the process, the Healthcare staff accompanies the person and instructs and directs at every step.
After hyperbaric oxygen therapy
The Assisting team will do a thorough examination of the person’s entire body and record the blood pressure and pulse, examining ears to check eardrum damage. The team will record the glucose level of the diabetic people and aids in maintaining the insulin level either by injecting or suggesting immediately. In the end, the person can change the clothes to normal after an approving nod from the team.
Results
Usually, one or more Hyperbaric chamber treatments for wound healing are sufficient to treat the underlying problem. However, the visit in sessions may depend upon the medical condition and severity of the issue at hand. For instance, carbon monoxide poisoning might need 3-4 trips to the center to get well, whereas a non-healing wound might require as many as 40+ sessions of Hyperbaric chamber for wound healing.
Conclusion
Hyperbaric chambers for wound healing are a pie of the entire Medical treatment and drug intake going alongside. The person should choose this treatment after consulting the physician and considering the present health conditions to prevent the potential risk.