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http://www.cohyperbarics.com/faqs/
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?
Hyperbaric Oxygen or HBOT is high dose oxygen therapy. At high doses, oxygen
acts like a drug, stimulating the bodies own ability to heal itself.
How Does HBOT Work?
During HBOT, a patient breathes 100% oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber in which
the pressure is increased up to three times the normal atmospheric pressure. The
combination of increased pressure and high concentrations of oxygen causes large
amounts of oxygen to be dissolved into the blood and tissues (typically 10 to 15
times the usual amount).
How Does HBOT Force More Oxygen Into the Blood and Tissues?
Blood is made up of three main components: white blood cells that fight infection,
red blood cells that carry oxygen, and plasma, the fluid that carries both kinds of
cells throughout the body. Under normal circumstances, only the red blood cells
carry oxygen. However, because of the increased pressure during HBOT, oxygen
dissolves into all of the body’s fluids, including the plasma, the lymph, and the
cerebrospinal fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord. These fluids can carry
this extra oxygen to areas where circulation is poor or blocked, either by trickling
past the blockages or by seeping into the affected area. This extra oxygen helps in
the healing process and enhances the white blood cells’ ability to fight infection. It
can promote the development of new capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that
connect arteries to veins. It can help the body build new connective tissue, and can
also aid in reducing localized swelling or edema.
What are the benefits of HBOT?
HYPEROXYGENATION: provides 10-15 times the oxygen to areas of poor blood
flow. This increase in oxygen results in a four-fold increase in the diffusion of
oxygen through your functioning capillaries. While this is only a temporary effect
it allows tissues to remain viable while a new blood supply is established.
NEOVASCULARIZATION is the development of new capillaries and the creation
of new blood vessels. New capillaries and blood vessels help restore normal blood
flow to compromised tissue
BACTERICIDAL: the sterilization of microbes causing inhibition and inactivation
of toxins in conditions like gangrene and other bone or soft tissue infections.
Hyperoxia increases the oxidative killing effect of white blood cells and has shown
a synergistic effect when combined with appropriate antibiotics.
VASOCONSTRICTION: The constriction of blood vessels. This is helpful in
managing intermediate compartment syndrome and other acute lack of circulation
in injured extremities, and reducing fluid retention in tissues. HBOT can also
reduce excess fluids and swelling of brain tissues which can increase neurological
function for people with brain injury.
STIMULATE COLLAGEN PRODUCTION: Collagen is the connective tissue
developed and laid down by fibroblasts, the repair cells of the body. The formation
of collagen and hence wound healing/recovery is highly dependent on the presence
of adequate amounts of oxygen. The actual production of collagen by fibroblasts is
also extremely dependent on oxygen availability. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
markedly increases the oxygen available within the blood. This in turn enables
fibroblasts to produce increased amounts of collagen.
IMPROVES BONE REGENERATION: Osteoblasts are the cells responsible for
bone formation and osteoclasts are the cells responsible for bone reabsorption.
Both of these cells work together to form bones and control the amount of bone
tissue. These cells are highly dependent on the presence of adequate amounts of
oxygen. The increased levels of oxygen during HBOT allows for increased
production of these cells and enables them to conduct bone repair and formation
more adequately.
ATTENUATION OF REPERFUSION INJURY: is the most recent benefit to be
discovered. Much of the damage associated with reperfusion is brought about by
the inappropriate activation of leukocytes. Hyperbaric oxygen prevents this
activation and helps save marginal tissues around a wound site that might
otherwise be lost to a reperfusion injury, which caused by lack of blood flow.
MOBILIZATION OF STEM CELLS: Hyperbaric oxygen increases stem cell
function and synthesis within the body. A typical course of hyperbaric oxygen
treatments increases by eight-fold the number of stem cells circulating in a
person’s body. Stem cells, also called progenitor cells, are crucial to injury repair.
Stem cells exist in the bone marrow of human beings and animals and are capable
of changing their nature to become part of many different organs and tissues. In
response to injury, these cells move from the bone marrow to the injured sites,
where they differentiate into cells that assist in the healing process. The movement,
or mobilization, of stem cells can be triggered by a variety of stimuli – including
pharmaceutical agents and hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Whereas drugs are
associated with a host of side effects, hyperbaric oxygen treatments carry a
significantly lower risk of such effects.
What is a monoplace hyperbaric chamber?
The monoplace chamber is designed to house a single patient. It features a
pneumatic control system and an acrylic shell. Full 360-degrees vision is
maintained, as well as two-way communication with the operator. The chamber is
normally pressurized with 100% oxygen thus relieving the patient from wearing an
uncomfortable and cumbersome mask or hood for the entire treatment. During
treatment the patient remains lying comfortably on a specialized contoured bed.
What is a treatment like?
Once a patient is in the chamber and the door is closed, the oxygen begins to
circulate. This starts a gradual increase in pressure — called compression. The
oxygen circulation produces a relaxing sound much like the wind blowing through
trees. The Chamber Operator remains by the chamber throughout the treatment to
adjust the rate of compression according to patient tolerance and to coach the
patient on relieving the full sensation in the ears. You may feel fullness in your
ears as your eardrums adjusts to the change in the chamber pressure. This is very
similar to the feeling you experience when you are in an airplane. Compression
generally lasts 10-15 minutes depending on how effective one is at clearing their
ears.
When the interior of the chamber reaches the prescribed pressure, the fullness
sensation in the ears will cease and the patient is free to rest or sleep. The chamber
environment remains at room temperature. The patient may also use their personal
entertainment system which includes a flat screen television monitor, DVD, CD,
and MP3.
Near to the end of the treatment, the Chamber Operator will gradually decrease
pressure that was added at the beginning. This is decompression, which generally
lasts 10 minutes. During decompression, there may be a slight “popping” sensation
in the ears as a result of the changing (decreasing) pressure. This “popping” is a
normal adjustment, similar to what happens when driving up a mountain or
ascending in an airplane. It is usually much easier to equalize ear pressure during
decompression than during the compression phase.
How often are treatments given?
The length and frequency of treatments will be individualized for each patient and
their condition. For most conditions patients are treated once or twice a day —
Monday through Friday — and treatments may last 60-90 minutes. Some
emergency conditions will require only one or two treatments. In most cases of
healing support, the effects are gradual and 20 to 40 treatments may be required.
Is HBOT Safe?
The most common potential side effect during treatment is barotrauma to the ears
and sinuses caused by pressure changes. To minimize this potential side effect,
patients learn techniques to promote adequate clearing of the ears during
compression (similar to clearing your ears on an airplane). Other side effects are
rarer, but may include oxygen toxicity which affects only 1 person in 10,000. After
a large number of treatments some changes in vision may be noticed by a few
patients. Any changes usually return to pre-treatment vision levels in a 6 week
period. Some patients may experience claustrophobia which can be resolved with
relaxation techniques or mild medications. In addition, a few patients report a
“popping” or “cracking” sensation in their ears between treatments. This sensation
can be relieved using the same techniques that patients use to clear their ears while
they are in the chamber.
Why haven’t I heard of HBOT?
You very seldom hear of anyone being treated in a hyperbaric chamber because
they are fairly unusual in American hospitals. Medicine in the United States is
pretty much a get a pill, have a surgery or get a radiation treatment proposition.
HBOT, other than the FDA approved uses, is considered alternative medicine and
“experimental”, so few doctors ever consider this very effective treatment. Doctors
are a product of their training and experience. Since HBOT is not taught in most
medical schools and is not available in most teaching hospitals, their training and
experience lack an HBOT background unless they specifically seek training on
their own. Most doctors only hear about HBOT in conjunction with scuba diving
accidents or carbon monoxide poisoning, and seldom use it for anything beyond
the FDA approved uses for a hyperbaric chamber.
How well does HBOT work with other therapies?
HBOT is an adjunctive or add-on therapy that enhances many other therapies. You
should continue all other physical, occupational, speech, wound care therapies.
Other therapies will retrain your body and brain as they recover with the help of
HBOT. You will progress more with all your therapies when you add HBOT to
your treatment program.
Is HBOT covered by private insurance or Medicare?
Yes, in some cases, but not for "off-label", alternative therapies like TBI. HBOT is
covered by Medicare and some private insurance companies only when it is used to
treat the FDA approved medical conditions (See “Conditions” page for a list). Any
other use is considered “experimental” and will not be covered. This is another
reason that hospitals only treat the FDA Approved conditions. HBOT is paid for
totally by the patient in most cases. However, the accelerated healing promoted by
HBOT shortens recovery time enough to save on additional hospital costs,
medication costs and lost wages.