Chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers, can make you feel completely exhausted, both mentally and physically. If you have diabetes, you know how stubborn wounds can be when it comes to healing. What is the solution?
There is this innovative medical technology that shows remarkable results in wound healing, which is HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy).
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy works by increasing the oxygen delivery to the body by providing pure 100% oxygen in a chamber. Let us go through the complete guide on how HBOT works, why it is effective, and what advantages it offers for patients dealing with slow-healing wounds and other health conditions.
What exactly is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a non-invasive treatment in which a patient breathes 100% pure oxygen inside a special chamber. In our daily lives, the air that we inhale contains only 21% oxygen. In a chamber, the oxygen concentration is significantly higher. When a patient inhales pure 100% oxygen at higher atmospheric, and atmospheric pressure is significantly higher.
This combination of pure oxygen and high pressure enhances the body’s natural healing mechanism. So what happens when a person enters a hyperbaric chamber? Their lungs can absorb far more oxygen than a normal pressure, so the oxygen is properly dissolved into the bloodstream and it is transported to the damaged tissues.
The science behind the healing: how does HBOT work?
A wound is like a house that needs rebuilding, just like to rebuild a building, you need extra materials, and for our tissues, that extra materials are nutrition, proper minerals, and most importantly, oxygen.
But when you have a chronic illness like diabetes or any kind of tissue damage, the blood vessels that carry your blood are clogged or damaged, due to which the area of the wound damage is left in a state of oxygen starvation. So when your tissues are starving for oxygen, in simply can’t do their repair job.
- In the lack of oxygen, your skin is no longer able to form collagen, which is an essential framework that helps in closing the gaps.
- Your body can’t grow healthy new skin due to a lack of oxygen.
- And most critically, the immune cells are too weak to fight off the lingering bacteria and infection
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy bypasses this problem. Under pressure, oxygen dissolves directly into your blood plasma. Think of it like carbon dioxide dissolving in a soda can. This oxygen-rich plasma can then seep into areas where circulation is poor, flooding the wounded tissue with 10 to 15 times its normal oxygen supply. That oxygen-surge does several critical things like:
- Fighting the infection: in low oxygen levels, bacteria can thrive quickly, especially if it’s a deep wound and a sudden flood of oxygen helps to neutralize these bacteria and makes them more vulnerable to antibiotics and your own white blood cells.
- Reduces swelling: the high oxygen reduces the redness and inflammation around the wound, which helps in relieving the pressure and allows for better blood flow as healing progresses.
- Stimulates New Growth: Most importantly, the oxygen acts as a powerful signal to your body. It stimulates the release of stem cells and growth factors, which are your body’s repair crew.
Who can benefit from HBOT?
While HBOT is very profoundly known for treating diabetic foot ulcers, its benefits are extended to various other conditions as well. Some of them are:
- Chronic and non-healing wounds: chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers and venous ulcers can be stubborn to heal. These conditions can be treated by hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
- Burn injuries: Burn injuries often cause swelling and tissue damage. And such cases, High oxygen levels help reduce inflammation and promote recovery.
- Radiation Injury: Patients who have undergone radiation therapy for cancer can sometimes suffer damage to nearby healthy tissues, like in the jawbone (osteoradionecrosis) or the bowel. HBOT helps to rebuild this damaged tissue.
- Infections: when a wound is not healed, it can easily get infected. There is a condition called osteomyelitis, which is a serious bone infection. Such conditions can also be combated with oxygen therapy.
What to expect during an HBOT session
Here’s what you can expect during a hyperbaric oxygen therapy session:
- Pre-session preparation: In a typical pre-session preparation, patients are guided through the specific instructions about the safety, and the patient is asked to be shifted into the specific medical garments.
- The chamber: then the patient is made to lie comfortably inside the chamber. It is a sealed chamber that is completely sealed to withstand the pressure of the air.
- Oxygen therapy: once the patient enters the chamber, the pressure of the chamber is increased, and the patient is able to breathe the complete pure oxygen. This process is around 90 minutes long, and the pressure is changed accordingly.
- depressurization: In the end, when the session is completed, the pressure from the chamber is reduced. As the patient is allowed to go after being examined.
Conclusion
Dealing with a chronic wound can be and also be disheartening. And it’s very easy to feel defeated when your body doesn’t respond to the healing process.
But the good news is, medical advancements like Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can work miracles on the wounds that are not healing. Whether it’s a diabetic foot ulcer or a venous ulcer, HBOT can work wonderfully on such chronic wounds.
FAQ’S (Frequently Asked Questions)
Question 1. Is Hyperbaric oxygen therapy safe?
Ans. Yes. HBOT is considered safe when administered under medical supervision. Certified technicians monitor the session, and the chambers are designed to meet strict safety standards. Minor side effects such as temporary ear pressure or mild fatigue may occur but usually resolve quickly.
Question 2. How many sessions are typically required for noticeable results?
Answer. The number of sessions varies depending on the condition being treated. Chronic wounds may require 20–40 sessions, while other conditions might need fewer. Your healthcare provider will create a customised treatment plan after evaluating your wound and overall health.
Question 3. Can HBOT be used alongside other treatments?
Answer. Absolutely. HBOT is often used as part of a broader treatment approach. It works well with wound dressings, antibiotics, debridement, and other therapies by improving oxygen delivery and enhancing tissue response.
Question 4. Does HBOT help only with diabetic wounds?
Answer. No. While it is widely known for its effectiveness in diabetic foot ulcers, HBOT also supports healing in burns, radiation-induced tissue injuries, severe infections, traumatic wounds, and certain surgical complications.