Get to Know Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) Therapy
This Hyperbaric Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness on the history, innovation and healing benefits of HBO2 therapy, a medical treatment prescribed by a doctor to enhance the body’s ability to heal.
During HBO2 therapy, patients breathe 100% pure oxygen while inside a pressurized chamber. The pressure inside this chamber is about two and a half times greater than the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This high-pressure environment allows the blood to carry more oxygen to all parts of the body to repair injured tissue. HBO₂ therapy also helps to fight certain infections, such as those that occur in the bone.
While it is considered an “advanced modality,” HBO2 therapy is not a new treatment. In fact, it has been used since the late 1600s, before oxygen was discovered. It began with British physician Nathaniel Henshaw, who used a pressurized room to treat conditions related to the lungs and digestive system. 300 years later, the Navy used it to treat decompression sickness in divers.1
Today, HBO2 therapy is a safe, proven therapy. Patients in our community do not have to look far to find this life-changing treatment; it is accessible to those in need at our specialized outpatient wound center. Here, every new patient undergoes an extensive evaluation and assessment process to ensure HBO2 therapy is an appropriate treatment.
Many different conditions have been shown to benefit from HBO₂ therapy, especially chronic, non-healing wounds. In addition, HBO2 therapy is often used in conjunction with other treatments to aid and accelerate the healing process. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Chronic bone infections, also called osteomyelitis
- Radiation wounds or symptoms caused by radiation (such as pain, rectal bleeding or bladder bleeding)
- Non-healing surgical skin flaps and grafts
- Crush injuries
- Necrotizing infections
For patients with non-healing wounds, both on their skin and inside their body, wound care is essential. Ask your primary care physician or consult a wound care specialist to see if HBO2 therapy is right for you.