What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is breathing of 100% oxygen while under an increased atmospheric pressure. This therapy is well-known for its treatment for decompression sickness which is a hazard of scuba diving. Other serious conditions treated with this therapy includes treating bubbles of air in blood vessels, serious infections and wounds that heal as a result of radiation or diabetes.
While undergoing this therapy in a chamber, the pressure of air is increased to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under such conditions, the lungs tend to gather more oxygen than it would be possible to breathing of pure oxygen at normal air pressure. The blood carries pure oxygen throughout the body which in turn helps in fighting bacteria, and stimulates the release of substances thus promoting the process of healing.
The Need For Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Tissues of our body need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. In a scenario, if the tissues are injured it requires even more oxygen to survive. This therapy helps to increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. Such increase of oxygen in the blood temporarily restores normal levels of blood, tissues and gases function that promotes the healing process and fights the infections. The therapy is used to treat several medical conditions. Various medical institutions use the therapy in numerous ways. Specialist, suggests this therapy in case if an individual is suffering from one of the following conditions:
- Severe Anemia.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Decompression sickness.
- Infection of skin or bone that causes tissue death.
- Nonhealing wounds.
- Skin graft or skin flap at risk of tissue death
- Crushing injury.
- Gangrene.
- Burns.
- Brain abscess.
- Bubbles of air in blood vessels .
- Sudden Deafness.
- Radiation injury.
How Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Performed In IMNVA?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Virginia is typically performed as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the illness, patients may receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in one of two settings. While undergoing the therapy, the air pressure in the room which is of about two to three times normal air pressure. The increased air pressure creates a temporary feeling of fullness in the ears, which is similar to the feeling of being at high elevation.
Treating most conditions, the therapy lasts for approximately two hours. The Health care team at IMNVA constantly monitors the therapy unit. Post-therapy session patients might feel hungry or tired. This treatment does not limit any normal physical activities. The benefits of this therapy are likely to come after two or more sessions. The number of sessions prescribed by the specialists depends on the medical conditions of the patients. Serious conditions like poisoning might require more than three sessions, whereas for non-healing wounds it takes around 20 plus sessions.