What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?

Also Known as Hyperbaric Chamber Treatment

Hyperbaric chamber therapy or hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT therapy) is a medical treatment in which sit in a hyperbaric chamber, an enclosed space filled with pure oxygen. Air pressure is kept two or three times greater than normal to help the body take in more oxygen, which can help heal wounds, treat carbon monoxide poisoning, and more.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was first used in the U.S. in the early 1900s. Later, it was used to treat decompression sickness, a hazard of scuba diving. Today, HBOT therapy is prescribed and supervised by medical institutions for a host of health and wellness issues, and it may even be covered by insurance (depending on your coverage and the condition it’s used to treat).

Who needs oxygen therapy?

Oxygen therapy is prescribed for people who can’t get enough oxygen on their own. This is often because of lung conditions that prevents the lungs from absorbing oxygen, including:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

pneumonia

asthma

bronchopulmonary dysplasia, underdeveloped lungs in newborns

heart failure

cystic fibrosis

sleep apnea

lung disease

trauma to the respiratory system

Benefits

The body needs oxygen to heal itself. Many injuries and illnesses result in a disruption of oxygen-rich blood, being able to travel to affected areas of the body.

For example, diabetes can result in poor and slowed circulation, making it more difficult for oxygen-rich red blood cells to reach wounded areas of the skin. This results in injuries that are very slow to heal or injuries that do not heal at all.

HBOT therapy has been used to treat many different medical conditions and injuries that benefit from having an increased level of oxygen in the tissues. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be utilized as a stand-alone treatment or a procedure that can boost the action of medications, such as antibiotics.