Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is based on having the patient breathe 100% oxygen inside a pressurizable steel chamber, exposing the patient to a pressure 2–3 times greater than the atmospheric pressure at sea level. In this way, the amount of oxygen reduced in target tissues can be increased up to 20-fold, depending on the chamber pressure used, and the healing process is also greatly shortened in diabetic foot wounds caused by uncontrolled diabetes and in sports injuries. Dr. Fulya Erişkon, Specialist at the Hisar Hospital Intercontinental Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Department, provided information about the uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Shortens healing time in sports injuries
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used in our country mainly for the treatment of wounds that do not heal or heal with difficulty. Its most life-saving use is in carbon monoxide poisoning. Sudden hearing loss, sudden vision loss, bone infection and injuries sustained during sports, which are treated by increasing tissue oxygen, also greatly shorten the healing process.
Very effective in diabetic foot wounds!
In diabetic foot injuries, many patients may lose their limbs if proper treatment is not applied. In the hyperbaric treatment method, pure oxygen breathed under pressure increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood, and by revitalizing capillary circulation, it can be highly effective in wounds that do not heal.
100% oxygen is breathed with the help of a mask
After patients are placed inside the chamber, they are seated in their chairs and the process called "diving" begins; the term "diving" means increasing the pressure. When the desired pressure is reached, patients breathe 100% oxygen with the help of a mask from the oxygen distribution system inside the chamber. In most hyperbaric oxygen therapy applications, the majority of patients breathe oxygen under a pressure equivalent to 2–2.5 times the atmospheric pressure we normally live in, that is, equivalent to a depth of 10–15 meters under the sea.
Treatment is administered seated or with the help of a stretcher
The pressure chambers have windows called "portholes" and cameras connected to these windows. Inside the pressure chamber there are chairs so that patients can sit comfortably, and a stretcher arrangement so that they can receive treatment lying down if necessary. The chambers used in our country are 10- to 16-person chambers with a fully automatic control system.
Not applied to persons with claustrophobia!
During the first minutes of treatment, called "diving", patients feel the increase in pressure inside the chamber in their ears, just as they do during landing on an airplane or when descending from high mountains. During the increase in pressure, patients equalize the pressure in their ears by swallowing. Apart from this, no other discomfort occurs. Persons who fear being in an enclosed space cannot be taken for treatment.
The total number of sessions may vary depending on the patient's condition
A hyperbaric oxygen therapy session, although it varies depending on the case, generally lasts between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. The majority of patients receive one session of treatment per day. However, in some emergency situations, the daily treatment duration may extend up to 6 hours. Although the total number of sessions varies depending on the disease, in chronic diseases it is on average between 30 and 60 sessions.
Patients of all ages can benefit from the treatment method
It has no serious side effects; the most common side effect is the effect of the pressure change on the ear cavity. This situation is not dangerous and can be prevented by learning pressure equalization techniques. Other side effects are quite rare and can be listed as oxygen toxicity, fear of being in an enclosed space, and temporary myopia. In addition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be applied to patients of all ages.
