Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: The Essential Guide for Patients and Professionals

Patients can breathe pure oxygen in vessels called hyperbaric oxygen chambers, which can have pressures up to three times higher than the average air pressure. The primary purpose of hyperbaric oxygen chambers was to treat decompression sickness in deep-sea divers. However, as more and more advantages of hyperbaric treatment become apparent, their use has grown in popularity. 

While many people may still be unfamiliar with oxygen therapy, the idea is not new. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been used for around 350 years, according to documentation. The therapeutic use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment did not begin until the middle of the 1800s. After several years, the military was able to create and test hyperbaric chambers for deep-sea diving and aviation. 

Selecting the ideal hyperbaric chamber for your requirements can be challenging, though, in an intricate and somewhat crowded marketplace. 

Regardless of your background—a healthcare professional wishing to expand your facility, a consumer seeking the best hyperbaric chamber for home use, or someone just starting out in hyperbaric research—this article will arm you with the information you need to succeed on your path.

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Fundamentals 

The use of oxygen at higher pressures for therapeutic reasons is known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The procedure is carried out in hyperbaric chambers and often includes pure oxygen circulation. 

How is mild hyperbaric oxygen treatment (mHBOT) different from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)?

There is only one basic variation, and that is the amount of oxygen present in the pressurized chamber. A pressure protocol up to 1.3 ATA (or 4 PSI) is typically used in mild hyperbaric oxygen treatment (mHBOT). There has been a minor rise in pressure, but not nearly as much as at sea level. 

High-pressure hyperbaric oxygen treatment is administered at pressures higher than 1.5 ATA and has a significantly higher oxygen content than normal air. Based on the type of hyperbaric chamber used, users may reach varying atmospheric pressure levels. 

What is the process of hyperbaric therapy?

With hyperbaric technology, the air pressure within the hyperbaric chamber is increased, which increases the amount of oxygen that the body can absorb per compressed air volume. Oxygen for breathing is normally carried via the bloodstream in the human body. Red blood cells' hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen. Oxygen is also forced into the body's fluids when someone breathes in pressurized air with a higher oxygen content, where it heavily saturates the tissues and organs. 

Oxygen can also be delivered to the body's hard-to-reach locations, such as injury sites made worse by compromised circulation, using this increased pressure. This is seen, for instance, when vital brain regions aren't getting enough blood or oxygen after a stroke.

Understanding Air Pressure and Oxygen in Hyperbaric Chambers

Air from the surrounding environment is used to inflate mild hyperbaric chambers (mHBOT) to their working pressure. In a soft hyperbaric chamber, the oxygen that is 100% pure will always be administered by cannula or mask. Additionally, 100% pure oxygen can be given using a face mask or nasal cannula in hard hyperbaric chambers (as long as the room is pressurized with surrounding air). 

On the other hand, 100% pure oxygen is only pressurizable in hyperbaric oxygen chambers intended for medicinal purposes. Due to several safety risks associated with this technique, medical-grade HBOT chambers may only be performed by highly skilled technicians working under a physician's supervision. 

How to Prepare for Your Initial Visit to a Hyperbaric Chamber 

What Is the Duration Of an HBOT Session?

Although the initial session may take longer, users anticipate that the full hyperbaric session will take about 90 minutes. During the course of the therapy, the chamber is continuously pressurized for roughly an hour after taking around fifteen minutes to pressurize and depressurize.

Remember that the length and frequency of HBOT therapy are contingent upon the health status and desired outcome of the user.

Do Hyperbaric Chambers Provide Comfort?

Users are permitted to cover themselves with a blanket if they start to feel cold in the well-ventilated hyperbaric chambers. In addition to not smoking just before the operation, the majority of treatment facilities will ask patients to refrain from using scented perfumes or deodorants.

How Can I Get Ready For My Initial Hyperbaric Treatment Session?

Wearing loose, comfortable clothing is advised since wearing tight clothing might make one feel uncomfortable. Additionally, patients might want to bring entertainment of some kind. Given that sessions usually take longer than sixty minutes, you could be permitted to bring a book, movie, or portable game into the chamber, depending on the hospital or clinic. 

Patients may be able to watch television on a device that is situated just outside the hyperbaric chamber if bringing outside materials inside the room is prohibited. Patients should be aware that they can feel some little ear pain, similar to what happens on an airplane during takeoff or descent. It is normal to have some fatigue after your first few workouts, but this should only last briefly.

Do You Need Hyperbaric Therapy?

Is a prescription required for HBOT or mHBOT?

mHBOT therapy is usually administered by the patient to themselves at home. As a Class II medical equipment, hyperbaric oxygen chambers are governed by FDA regulations and may only be purchased with a doctor's prescription. If you're thinking about using mHBOT for your kid or loved one, you should let your doctor know. However, many medical professionals unfamiliar with the treatment may at first be opposed to the program. However, as more and more encouraging outcomes are being reported, this trend is fading.

Does the operation of my hyperbaric chamber require an oxygen concentrator?

An oxygen concentrator is not necessary for your hyperbaric chamber to operate effectively, but you and your doctor should decide whether to increase your oxygen consumption while undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment. A user can raise the oxygen density in their home hyperbaric chamber if their doctor recommends an oxygen concentrator. 

At sea level, ambient air contains 21% oxygen, which is pressurized and inflated in mild hyperbaric chambers intended for home use. Mild hyperbaric chambers are permitted by the FDA for specific applications as long as they are pressurized with room air. Although there will never be 100% oxygen in a mild hyperbaric chamber, users can buy an oxygen concentrator to raise the oxygen density in the chamber.

When is mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (mHBOT) most commonly used?

Autism, cerebral palsy, anoxic brain damage, traumatic brain injury, and systemic autoimmune diseases are among the conditions for which mHBOT is most frequently used in children. Because they offer flexibility to both the patient and the parent/caregiver, mHBOT chambers are a popular choice for young patients. The family may utilize treatment whenever they like, instead of needing to make an appointment at a clinic or hospital, by having an mHBOT device for usage at home.

This may significantly improve convenience and the total length of time the kid may spend in the chamber setting, especially for families when a child has a handicap. 

Oxidative stress, sports injury therapy, aiding in post-exercise recovery (muscular pain and weariness), autoimmune diseases, stroke, non-healing diabetic wounds, and peripheral vascular disease are among the most prevalent adult use cases for mHBOT.