HBOT, HBO, HBOT, OHP, Hyperoxygenation, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hyperbarics, hyperbaric oxygen, Oxygen therapy, oxidative therapy, Acute carbon monoxide intoxication, Decompression illness, Gas Embolism, Gas gangrene, Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia, ATI, Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs, Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency, Progressive necrotizing infections, Preparation and preservation of compromised skin grafts, Chronic refractory osteomyelitis, Osteoradionecrosis, Soft tissue radionecrosis, Cyanide poisoning, Actinomycosis, Diabetic wounds, Acute cerebral edema, Idiopathic sudden deafness, acoustic trauma, noise induced hearing loss, Pneumatosis cystoids intestinalis, Acute osteomyelitis, Chronic non-healing wounds, Crohn's disease, Acute thermal burns, Traumatic brain injury, Traumatic brain injury and coma, Traumatic brain injury and substance abuse, Physical abuse, Mental retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, Alzheimer's, Substance abuse, Carbon monoxide poisoning, Shaken baby, Gunshot wound ,Autism, Traumatic brain injury from child abuse, embolism, leukocytes, anaerobic bacteria, inhibits toxin formation, anaerobes, increases flexibility of red cells, reduces tissue edema, preserves intracellular adenosine triphosphate, maintains tissue oxygenation in the absence of hemoglobin, stimulates fibroblast growth, increases collagen formation, promotes more rapid growth of capillaries, terminates lipid peroxidation, anaerobic infections, gas gangrene, severe aerobic infections such as necrotizing fasciitis, malignant external otitis, and chronic refractory osteomyelitis, preserve ischemic tissues, arborization of new capillaries, promotes healing, problem wounds, Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen treatment, management of radionecrosis,

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment in which the patient breathes 100% oxygen
while inside a pressurized chamber.

How does HBOT Work?
Oxygen, under pressure, dissolves into the fluid portion of the body, elevating arterial oxygen levels up
to 20 times higher than normal. The oxygen rich liquid portion of the blood can deliver therapeutic levels
of oxygen to areas of poor circulation.

Increased Tissue Oxygen
Oxygen is essential for the proper functioning of every cell in the body. Greatly increased oxygen levels
from HBOT allow increased cellular metabolism, improved waste removal, and a dramatically accelerated
rate of healing.

What Effect Could HBOT Have?
Temporary high levels of oxygen in the tissue promote many positive health factors. High oxygen
directly destroys many microbes, stimulates immune cleanup and protective function and increases
energy production which hastens healing.

What is a Treatment Like?
A treatment begins as the pressure inside the hyperbaric chamber gradually increases. The pressure
change is felt mainly in the ears, similar to the fullness felt in the ears when landing in an airplane or
mountainous driving. During compression, the chamber may warm slightly for about ten minutes, then
cools to room temperature when reaching treatment pressure. During the treatment, patients may
watch a video, read, listen to music or sleep. Most treatments last about sixty minutes.

Ending a Treatment
While the chamber decompresses at the end of the treatment, the ears again experience a popping
sensation as they adjust to the pressure change. Some patients report feeling light headed for a few
minutes immediately following a treatment, but this is brief, and they are quickly able to continue with
their normal daily activities such as working or driving.

What is the History of HBOT?
Hyperbaric chambers have been in use for centuries, as early as 1662. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has
been used clinically since the mid 1800's. HBOT was tested and developed by the U.S. Military after
World War I. It has been used safely since the 1930's to help treat deep sea divers with decompression
sickness. Clinical trials in the 1950's uncovered a number of benefits from exposure to hyperbaric
oxygen. These experiments were the forerunners of contemporary applications of HBOT in the clinical
setting.

Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen

Studies Reveal the Following Health Benefits of HBOT:
Speeds healing. 1
Increases energy. 1
Recover from sickness quicker. 2-6
Eliminate toxins quicker. 2
Helps rid exercise related soreness from muscles quicker. 3
Quick joint pain relief. 4-5

Studies show HBOT under pressure:
Has a drug-like effect prompting healing. 7,8,30,33,38
Improves infection fighting. 10,11,12,13,14,15
Has a direct affect on infections. 12,18,19
Reduces inflammation. 37
Reduces swelling. 34
Successfully delivers oxygen to areas of poor circulation. 17
Improves effectiveness of some antibiotics. 20,21,22,23,24,25,26
Simulates wound healing and tissue repair. 9,16,27,29,32,36,39
Promotes new skin growth. 28,31
Minimizes dangerous blood clotting conditions. 35

Summary:
HBOT has positive effects on the great majority of the pathological processes promoting wound repair
and healing through a variety of mechanisms, many of which are mediated by signal induction
(drug-like) effects on DNA and nitric oxide.

References:
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of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
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of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201.
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