Hyperbaric medicine has become increasingly popular over the last few years as new benefits have been uncovered. Even though it is not as popular as some other forms of medicine, nobody can deny what it brings to the table, and how it has helped a lot of people around the world.
What is it?
Hyperbaric medicine involves the use of pressure environments to deliver more oxygen to the body than is usually available at normal atmospheric pressure. When someone decides to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy, that means they will have to enter a chamber where the treatment will take place. The chambers can be of various types; they can hold one or two people, depending on the type, and they are designed to be pressurized more than the atmosphere outside. When someone enters the chamber, they will experience the same pressure as if they were underwater. As the pressure increases, so will the amount of oxygen in the chamber, which leads to more absorption of oxygen by the body. The patients undergoing this treatment will breathe pure oxygen or a mixture of oxygen and air. Once the oxygen reaches the bloodstream, it will start to transport it over the whole body. The blood will carry it to different organs and tissues, which may have been injured, or they may not work as they should. The oxygen that reaches them can provide treatment, which could aid in their recovery. Also, this treatment has many therapeutic benefits. This treatment does that by healing and helping.
What is Henry’s law?
This law states that the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid. So hyperbaric therapies use this principle to help treat their patients. The patient is put in a chamber, the pressure builds up and the oxygen molecules are forced into the bloodstream, which later helps the body in many different ways. We all know that oxygen gets into our bloodstream by us breathing it in, and then the oxygen molecules bind themselves to hemoglobin which is later transported throughout the body where there is a need for it. With this therapy, that is not the case, but the oxygen gets directly into the plasma and then the bloodstream takes care of the rest.
Clinical evidence
There is a large body of research done on this therapy which tells us that this treatment can have great benefits for people. If someone suffers from carbon monoxide poisoning, wounds, decompression sickness, and a number of other conditions, they can be treated with hyperbaric therapy. As more and more research is done on the effectiveness of this treatment on humans and the possible benefits it can bring, people are eager to try it out, which will speed up the research even more because of the growing sample size.
Duration of the treatment
The duration of the treatment can vary depending on different factors, such as the condition of the patient, the severity of it, and factors that are unique for a particular patient. The person who decides how much time this treatment will be done is a medical specialist who has experience using the therapy to help their patients. The first thing these experts evaluate is the condition of the patient. This may include looking into their medical history, examinations, previous treatments, and anything that they deem relevant. Based on all the things that they found out about the patient, they will design a specially tailored plan for the patient. There they will write how many therapy sessions the patients need to do before they can reevaluate their state. The duration of the treatment depends on the conditions of the person; for some, it can be a really low number of therapy sessions. During the treatment, the experts will always pay close attention to the way the patient is behaving and how the treatment is affecting them. There are many things that can go wrong and if there is no one to act, it could be really dangerous for the patient. After the patient has undergone the whole treatment plan, they will sit together with the expert and discuss the success of the treatment and what to do next.
Vasoconstriction
Vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of blood vessels, benefits our body in many ways. It helps regulate blood pressure in humans by constricting blood vessels, and so it ensures that it is in a normal range. It also aids the body in the distribution of blood flow towards organs and tissues. When the body is exposed to a harsh and cold environment, it protects its temperature by conserving its heat. Hyperbaric therapy can help vasoconstriction in many ways. This ensures that our body is working as it is supposed to.
It carries some risk
Even though the treatment is mostly safe, there are still some things that the experts need to have in mind when applying this treatment to their patients. Because of the big change in pressure, some patients can get various injuries to their ears, sinuses, and lungs, but there are ways the experts try to mitigate the risk of this happening. They instruct the patients to yawn and swallow so that they can depressurize themselves more, which will make it easier for the body to adapt to the change in pressure. Also, prolonged use of this therapy can lead to oxygen toxicity, which is a serious condition. Just like with anything, too much of one substance can seriously harm you. That is the same thing with oxygen, which can lead to serious problems for your nervous system, and it can even cause seizures. That is why experts must constantly monitor their patients when they are in these chambers to ensure their safety. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that these chambers can catch fire because of the extra oxygen that is being used, but there are strict protocols that do not allow this to happen.
Without a doubt, hyperbaric therapy can help a lot of people with conditions lead a healthier life. Through carefully designed treatments and monitoring, the specialists look to treat people who are in dire need of it.
