WHAT IS HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a mode of medical treatment that allows a patient to breathe 100% oxygen while sitting comfortably in a chamber at pressures greater than normal atmospheric (sea level).

The air we breathe is 21% oxygen, 79% nitrogen and minor amounts of other gases. Our bodies are usually able to heal themselves with a normal oxygen level, but in certain conditions extra oxygen is required. During hyperbaric (“hyper” means increased and “baric” relates to pressure) therapy, the pressure is increased to 2 - 3 times that of sea-level and you breathe 100% oxygen. The breathing of pure oxygen under pressure causes a much larger (10-15 times normal) amount of oxygen to be dissolved in the blood and, subsequently, the rest of the body. The extra oxygen is used by the body in many ways. Depending on the underlying problem, the actions can include improved wound healing by reduction of swelling, infection control and the stimulation of new blood vessel growth. The increase of oxygen in the blood allows for medical conditions such as non-healing diabetic wounds to heal when they otherwise would not.

READ: The Diabetic Epidemic

What are the effects of increased oxygen?

      Oxygen:

-is crucial in killing different bacteria. 

  -helps the immune system and antibiotics work better.

-eliminates harmful toxins produced by bacteria and the environment.

-promotes the growth of new tissue and blood vessels.

The combination of oxygen and increased chamber pressure reduces leg swelling, which is crucial for healing.