Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) /haɪˈpɛrˌbærɪk ˈɒksɪdʒən θɛrəpi/ is a type of medical treatment that involves the use of pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. The term "hyperbaric" comes from the Greek words "hyper" meaning "over" or "excessive" and "baros" meaning "weight". This therapy is primarily used to treat decompression sickness, a hazard of scuba diving. Other conditions treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy include serious infections, bubbles of air in blood vessels, and wounds that won't heal as a result of diabetes or radiation injury.

Procedure

In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the air pressure is increased to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. Your blood carries this oxygen throughout your body, helping fight bacteria and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.

Uses

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat several medical conditions. It's used as a primary treatment for conditions such as decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism. HBOT is also used as an adjunctive treatment in conditions such as carbon monoxide poisoning, crush injuries, and necrotizing soft tissue infections.

Risks

While hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally safe, complications can occur. These include barotrauma to the ears and sinuses caused by the change in pressure, myopia (nearsightedness) caused by temporary eye lens changes, and lung collapse caused by air pressure changes (pulmonary barotrauma).

See Also

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