Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing 100% pure oxygen while sitting in pressurized chamber. The chamber simulates the pressure at approximately 2 atmospheres (2 ATA) under water. There is, of course, no water involved in this process and the whole process is non-invasive & pain-free.
Due to the increased pressure, you will breathe 10 to 20 times more oxygen into your body. Your blood then carries the oxygen throughout your body and delivers it to areas where it is needed, such as wounds or infected areas.
These areas need more oxygen to survive and heal. The increased level of oxygen in the blood arriving to these areas result in temporary restoring normal levels of blood gasses and tissue function, which help to promote healing and fighting off bacteria by stimulating new capillary growth.
The air we normally breathe is made up of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. When breathing the lungs transfer the oxygen to the red blood cells. The oxygen-rich red blood cells are thencarried throughout the body by plasma, which travels through the blood vessels. The oxygen diffuses into the surrounding tissue and it is delivered where it's needed the most.
When there's restriction in the blood flow due to injury or illness, the red blood cells block the blood vessel and are not able to transfer oxygen to the cells on the other side of the blockage. This can cause swelling and the area is starved of oxygen causing hypoxia – a lack of oxygen. When this happens the tissue begins to break down.
Breathing 100% oxygen under pressure causes the oxygen to diffuse into the blood plasma. This oxygen-rich plasma is able to travel past the restriction, diffusing up to four times further into the tissue. The increased pressure helps to reduce swelling and discomfort while providing the body with 10 to 20 times the normal supply of oxygen to help repair tissue damaged by the original restriction or subsequent hypoxic condition.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy forces more oxygen into the tissue, which helps stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. These new blood vessels develop, and the oxygenated blood cells start to flow to the affected areas. This then creates the optimal environment for the body’s natural healing processes to repair the damage.
The most common treatments that Hyperbaric treat are radiation damage to the bone and soft tissue and the treatment of non-healing wounds such as diabetic ulcers or venous leg ulcers. The above process is proven to treat these conditions effectively as well as a range of other conditions.
