Here's What You Should Know About Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Ken Leslie, 65, from Chicago underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy that prevented his leg and foot amputation. The 65-year-old man suffered from peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, diabetes and end-stage renal disease. In 2022, he got a stubborn wound that did not heal and made his condition worse. He left it untreated which could have led to the amputation of his right leg and foot.
According to reports, he later underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy. UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital said, “By the time Leslie reached Ingalls, the infection was so extensive it required an emergency department admission. The hospital’s wound care staff quickly deployed a team approach to improve circulation to Leslie’s foot and eliminate the infection.”
The hospital also said that he underwent the therapy every weekday morning for three months. The increased oxygen in the bloodstream not only improves wound healing but also kills bacteria.
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, also known as HBOT is a form of treatment which is used to speed up healing. For the procedure, one has to breathe pure oxygen in a pressurised environment. It is usually used for carbon monoxide poisoning, gangrene, wounds that don’t heal due to diabetes or radiation injury and infections wherein tissues are starved for oxygen.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “For this therapy, you enter a special chamber to breathe in pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than average. The goal is to fill the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues and restore normal body function.”
The excess oxygen helps in fighting the bacteria. The procedure also encourages the release of certain substances which are known as growth factors and stem cells, which help in the healing process.
What Are The Benefits Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Helps in wound healing
HBOT helps by bringing oxygen-rich plasma to tissue starved for oxygen. Wounds tend to damage the body’s blood vessels and release fluid that leaks into the tissues which causes swelling. This swelling affects the damaged cells by depriving them of oxygen and tissue eventually starts to die. The procedure helps to reduce the swelling while providing the tissues with oxygen. “The higher pressure in the chamber increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. HBOT aims to break the cycle of swelling, oxygen starvation, and tissue death,” says Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Prevents reperfusion injury
Reperfusion injury is a severe tissue damage that happens when the blood supply returns to the tissues after they have been deprived of oxygen. When this happens, it can lead to a series of events in the damaged cells which then releases harmful oxygen radicals. These molecules then damage the tissues which can’t be reversed. However, HBOT helps the body to get rid of the problem molecule so that the healing continues.
Boosts the immune system
The procedure stops the impact of harmful bacteria and boosts the immune system. HBOT increases oxygen concentration in the tissues which helps them prevent infection. It also improves the ability of the white blood cells to find and destroy bacteria and viruses.
