A small nap inside a high-pressurised chamber with pure oxygen could help heal damaged tissues and rejuvenate them, say experts. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), an approach that involves breathing 100 per cent pure oxygen in a highly pressurised environment, can help treat not only crush injuries and burns but also diabetes-related chronic issues like foot ulcers and gangrene. Nonetheless, experts say that it should only be taken from authorised hospitals equipped with proper equipment under the supervision of trained doctors.
Bengaluru-based Dr Rashmi Krishnan UK, consultant, physical medicine and rehabilitation, Manipal Hospital Whitefield, explains that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) aids in increased oxygen circulation in the blood and tissues. Increased levels of oxygen have been found to contribute to enhanced healing of impaired cells and tissues.
Dr Krishnan points out that HBOT was first discovered as a treatment for decompression sickness (a disorder that occurs when there is a rapid decrease in the pressure surrounding the body – a potential risk of scuba diving). It is FDA-approved.
How does hyperbaric therapy work?
Dr Dhiraj Saxena, MD, consultant pulmonologist and hyperbaric physician at Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, elucidates the processes involved in the therapy. HBOT is carried out in a specialised chamber called the hyperbaric chamber. The pressure is 1.5 times ATA (atmosphere absolute) i.e. one and a half times the normal atmospheric pressure. While taking the therapy, the person lies down in the chamber with an oxygen mask on the face. “He can relax and watch TV through the transparent chamber till the session is over,” explains Dr Saxena.
Dr Saxena explains that with the help of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, oxygen gets dissolved in the blood plasma and reaches different parts of the body. Unlike red blood cells that cannot travel to certain parts of the body because of their size, plasma can freely flow throughout the body.
The many uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
According to Dr Vyankatesh K Shivane, consultant, diabetology and metabolic disorders, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, in the last decade or two, hyperbaric therapy has primarily been used as a complementary therapy to provide relief to people with non-healing diabetic conditions like foot infections or gangrene.
“This should always be given in addition to the ongoing standard therapy prescribed by experts, and done after taking permission from your doctor,” he says. That’s why it has been approved as ‘adjoining care.’
Apart from diabetes, it has been used for other indications like air embolism (when one or more air bubbles enter a vein or artery and block it), carbon monoxide poisoning, cyanide poisoning and crush injury.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being used for cosmetic reasons as well, but the United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved of such indications. Dr Shivane points out that we need further research to get approval from regulatory authorities for anti-ageing or cosmetic therapies.
Who needs hyperbaric therapy?
“There have been clinical trials where HBOT has shown to benefit people with stroke, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, autism etc,” says Dr Krishnan.
According to experts, it is effective in treating the following conditions:
- Radiation burns: Radiation damages the capillaries as they shrink due to the lack of oxygen.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used by people who suffer from head and neck cancers.
- Diabetes: People who have had diabetes for over a decade could also have capillary damage. They might get gangrene on their feet. “If it doesn’t heal properly, they will need amputation. This [HBOT] is a good method to prevent amputation,” explains Dr Saxena.
- Hypoxic brain injury: Sometimes, after a head injury and subsequent swelling, the blood flow and the oxygen to the brain stops. This is known as hypoxic injury. “After the injury, there is a small window of time when HBOT can be given for quicker recovery,” says Dr Saxena.
- Crush injuries: If a part of the body gets pressed or crushed between two objects and there is bleeding or bruising, oxygen therapy could facilitate healing and recovery of these areas.
- Wounds: If there is an injury or wound that does not heal within three weeks, then a person can be administered hyperbaric oxygen therapy for better recovery.
- Burns: HBOT could help in the faster recovery of those with severe burn injuries. “Hyperbaric oxygen has been seen to benefit tissue recovery; the need for regrafting is reduced,” says Dr Saxena.
- Venous ulcers: Dr Saxena explains that people with venous ulcers (ulcers in the leg due to poor blood flow) also benefit from this therapy.
According to Dr Saxena, usually, a session lasts around one hour. The number of sessions depends on the ailment and the condition of the person taking it. Someone with a diabetic foot ulcer might require about 15 to 20 sessions, while a person with radiation injury may need up to 40 sessions.
Caution
Certain risks need to be evaluated before going for this therapy. “Every person recommended a hyperbaric chamber should first be evaluated by a chest physician to rule out pneumothorax, the presence of gas in the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall,” explains Dr Shivane. “When the person is in the hyperbaric chamber, there could be a collapse of the lungs.”
Dr Saxena says the other concern is that people could be misled by the name ‘hyperbaric oxygen therapy,’ as not all machines are specialised and equipped to give 100 per cent oxygen. “Any chamber with a pressure below 1.5 ATA is not a hyperbaric oxygen chamber,” cautions Dr Saxena. That’s why it is important to undergo this therapy at authorised hospitals under the supervision of trained medical professionals.
Dr Saxena says that some people may be drawn to this therapy in pursuit of youthfulness and overall health benefits. “But we recommend it only when it is absolutely necessary for medical and not cosmetic reasons.”
Side effects of hyperbaric therapy
Dr Krishnan explains that side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy are uncommon.
The known side effects include damage to the ears or lungs because of high pressure and visual changes that cause near-sightedness (myopia). “This [myopia] is usually temporary and should disappear within three to four months after therapy is stopped,” adds Krishnan.
Takeaways
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is an approach that involves breathing 100 per cent pure oxygen in a highly pressurised environment. It aids in increased oxygen circulation in the blood and tissues, enhancing the healing of damaged cells. However, it should only be taken from authorised hospitals equipped with proper equipment under the supervision of trained doctors.
One Response
Intresting article, and I think it should do wonders actually. When I go to hills I come back rejuvenated because of pure air.