HBO or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy employed as an adjunctive treatment particularly for wound care involves exposing to the body to 100% oxygen at a pressure which is greater than normal.
To speed up healing, injuries need an adequate amount of pure “Oxygen”. This effective therapy can be done in several ways. It can be provided in a special type of room called a “Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber” or monoplace.
In this setting, patients are completely immersed in 100% Oxygen which is delivered at high pressure. After the course of treatment, sufferers are evaluated in order to see whether the concentration of Oxygen has increased in the blood near the wound. If its level is higher, it simply means the therapy is most probably beneficial to the patient.
Major types of the wound when Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is used:
- Infections
- Burns
- Skin grafts and flaps
- Radiation & crush injuries
- Diabetes-related wounds
During the procedure:
- While the therapy is in process, you will be instructed to wear a gown and lie on a table slides into the monoplace or hyperbaric oxygen chamber. It’s a clear plastic tube which is approximately 7-feet long.
- You will be asked to be relaxed and breathe normally. In addition, you can listen to music or watch TV. During the treatment, the therapist generally talks to you at all times to make you feel more comfortable.
- The chamber will be sealed and filled with pressurized Oxygen. The pressure will rise to 2.5 times than the normal pressure (air). In such a scenario, your ears may pop or also you may experience mild discomfort. But, it’s normal.
- And, the session will last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. After this non-surgical procedure, technicians will depressurize the monoplace slowly.
Risk of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy:
Generally, HBO or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a safe procedure. But, this treatment does carry some risk which includes:
- Temporary nearsightedness (myopia) that is caused by temporary eye lens changes
- Middle ear injuries, including eardrum rupture and leaking fluid, because of increased air pressure
- Collapsed lungs as a result of changing air pressure
- Seizures caused by too much oxygen (oxygen toxicity) in your central nervous systemLow blood sugar & decompression sickness
After the treatment:
Once your session is complete, you will feel tired. The number of sittings required for the treatment directly depends upon your wound as well as how well injury responds to the therapy.
Finally, it can be said that in order to get the effective Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, approaching a trusted therapist can be a great help for you.