In the 17th century, a British man named Henshaw achieved the near impossible in medicine. Somehow, the man had discovered a singular way to treat almost every disease, or so he claimed!
His secret was a structure he built called the Domicilium, simply an air chamber like the one now used in indoor tanning.
Back then, many patients with several diseases were treated under increased pressure, beginning the initial practice of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
Treating patients under increased pressure needed more scientific backing in the past, which impeded the advancement of HBOT. Nevertheless, advances in science have helped us better understand why hyperbaric oxygen therapy works and its potential even to prolong one’s life.
Let’s break down how that happens.
What isHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy means breathing pure oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure.
Air is pressurized up to three times higher than usual in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber so the lungs can absorb more oxygen.
Breathing in 100% oxygen under that increased pressure makes more oxygen available in the blood for biological activities.
And as oxygen is the key driver of our systemic function, this therapy is believed to help our bodies fight infections better, heal, and ultimately promote longevity.
But there’s something that still needs to be clarified.
Usually, the air we breathe is a mixture of gasses—78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and about 1% argon.
That favors us because if oxygen were all or most of the gas in the air, blood vessels and tender tissues in the lungs would become damaged with prolonged breathing [1].
So how can breathing pure oxygen in an HBOT chamber be good for you?
How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapyworks?
The most important thing to understand about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy works is the relationship between atmospheric pressure, our lungs, and oxygen.
Under normal pressure, the body only consumes 5% oxygen in each breath despite inhaled air containing about 21%.
One reason is the lung’s capacity. Another is that hemoglobin—the oxygen transporter in the blood—gets almost completely saturated (97%) with just 5% oxygen.
So if one breathes in 100% oxygen under those same conditions, there won’t be enough hemoglobin for all that oxygen. And excess oxygen remains in the lungs, leading to damage.
However, that is not the case under increased atmospheric pressure.
You may recall that gasses naturally move from a place of higher pressure to that of lower pressure.
That principle works in our lungs, too.
When the air inside our lungs has less pressure than the atmosphere, oxygen rushes in as we inhale until the reverse is the case, then we exhale.
That simple mechanism allows us to consume much more oxygen in one breath under increased atmospheric pressure since our lungs can fill up with more air before the pressure becomes higher than that of the environment.
It’s also why breathing becomes slower and deeper under hyperbaric conditions.
Now, the body is poised to match the increase in pressure by allowing more oxygen to attach readily to hemoglobin until it is 100% saturated.
But it was already 97% saturated under normal pressure, so the difference isn’t much. So what then happens to all the extra oxygen?
That is where it gets interesting.
It’s important to note that although hemoglobin is the oxygen carrier in the body, some oxygen dissolves directly in the blood as a solution.
From Henry’s gas law, we understand that an increase in gas pressure increases the amount that can dissolve in solution.
Consequently, much more oxygen is directly dissolved in the blood due to HBOT, leading to hyperoxygenation.
So with oxygen dissolved in the blood as a solution, it can reach even more areas of the body than oxygen carried by hemoglobin.
And with improved delivery of all that extra oxygen, cells function better at fighting infections and healing the body.
Based on this principle, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used to treat many medical conditions that require increased oxygenation, such as nonhealing diabetic wounds, traumatic brain injury, and burns.
Many of the claimed benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy have been backed by research, and a few others are still being studied.
But is the research enough to prove this therapy can slow down aging?
Benefits ofHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
For a long time, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been the go-to treatment for deep sea divers who develop decompression sickness because of the sudden change in pressure below sea level.
But this therapy has several other benefits and many medical conditions it can treat.
Here’s what one can gain from regular sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
- HBOT can treat Severe Anemia
There are several reasons a person may develop anemia and not have enough healthy red cells to deliver oxygen to the body.
Usually, blood transfusions are the gold standard for treating severe anemia, but hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an excellent alternative for patients who cannot use blood products.
In 2012, a Jehovah’s Witness who suddenly developed severe anemia couldn’t be given blood products because of her religious beliefs. But after 30 HBOT sessions, she was healthy enough to be discharged [2].
- Wounds heal better after Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Some wounds are chronic and do not heal properly.
That could happen because of persistent infection, tissue death from lack of oxygen, or diabetes, among many other things.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been proven to help ulcerated wounds heal, reducing the likelihood of amputation in diabetic people [3].
One study showed that it increases collagen formation during the early stages of healing, which is vital for skin integrity [4].
HBOT also saved tissues and limbs in the rare yet severe infection characterized by tissue death known as gas gangrene [5].
And several cancer patients with radiation injuries from radiotherapy had improved healing outcomes due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy [6].
But even more than just open wounds, HBOT has also shown promise in healing damaged brain cells after stroke and traumatic brain injury [7].
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy improves immune function
Antimicrobials have been used for a long time to treat infections. But many of these organisms adapt and become drug resistant.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has proven effective in treating infections caused by these drug-resistant organisms [8].
One way it works is through reactive oxygen species, which can directly destroy pathogens through oxidative damage [9].
But also, increasing the oxygen concentration in the tissues helps them better resist infections.
HBOT was even observed to be quite helpful in improving the conditions of those infected with COVID-19 [10].
And since improved oxygenation creates new blood vessels, it also improves the circulation of white blood cells that provide immunity against infections.
- HBOT can treat carbon monoxide poisoning
Interestingly, the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States is carbon monoxide poisoning [11].
The toxic gas is more likely than oxygen to bind to hemoglobin, so it impairs cells’ ability to use oxygen for energy production.
However, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can treat it effectively by speeding up the replacement of carbon monoxide with oxygen [12].
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- Autistic children may improve with HBOT
Autism is a developmental brain disorder characterized by repetitive behavior and poor social communication.
And studies have discovered insufficient blood flow to many areas of the brain in autistic children that are responsible for their symptoms [13].
But hyperbaric oxygen therapy has proven to compensate for the reduced blood flow with
increased oxygen concentration, which could reduce symptoms in autistic children [14].
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may slow down aging
Reduced oxygen supply to tissues is one of the significant events that characterize aging [15].
Since HBOT improves tissue oxygenation, it should slow down the aging process.
And that theory was backed up by a first-of-its-kind clinical trial in 2021 that proved hyperbaric oxygen therapy targets and influences aging hallmarks to modulate skin aging in healthy people [16].
That means regular hyperbaric oxygen therapy could make one look and feel younger.
So how does one safely receive 100% oxygen under increased pressure to enjoy these benefits?
Types ofHyperbaric Oxygen Chambers
Benefiting from hyperbaric oxygen therapy requires systemic oxygen to be administered under pressure.
Two major types of HBOT chambers can be used to achieve this.
A monoplaceHyperbaric Oxygen Chamber
In this type of oxygen chamber, the air is pressurized with 100% oxygen, and the vessel only compresses one person at a time.
The vessel is a long plastic tube, and staff attending to the patient do so from outside the chamber.
Sometimes, these monoplace HBOT chambers provide masks that deliver another breathing gas, like regular air, as an alternative for patients who want it.
A multiplaceHyperbaric Oxygen Chamber
Unlike the monoplace HBOT chamber, the multiplace chamber allows several patients to be treated simultaneously.
The air in this chamber is pressurized about three times higher than usual, but not with pure oxygen. Instead, 100% oxygen is delivered through a mask or fitted transparent hood covering the face.
Staff attending to patients in this chamber are also subjected to that increased pressure, but they breathe in regular air.
However, that results in staff having to be monitored since they risk developing decompression sickness due to excess nitrogen.
What to expect duringHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Depending on the type of chamber used for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the methods of pressurizing the air and delivering pure oxygen may differ slightly.
However, the process and benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy are the same.
The procedure usually lasts about two hours, and patients may need multiple sessions to benefit from HBOT truly.
Here’s what to expect during these sessions.
Before HBOT begins, patients change into scrubs or gowns approved by the medical facility.
Any item that poses a potential fire risk, including petroleum-based hair and skin products, is removed.
Once the patient has been prepared, they enter the HBOT chamber and sit or lie down for the session.
When the therapy begins, the air is pressurized, and oxygen is administered. This increased pressure may block your ears, but swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum will relieve them.
After the session, it’s possible to feel hungry, lightheaded, or exhausted
Those in charge of the therapy will assess you before leaving by checking your ears, blood pressure, and sometimes blood sugar.
Risks and Precautions
It’s crucial to do HBOT under controlled conditions and with medical experts who know what they’re doing because the therapy isn’t without its risks.
Here’s what to remember regarding the possible complications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Barotrauma
Barotrauma is any injury resulting from air pressure changes, typically affecting the lungs and ears.
Although treatment can resolve it entirely, it remains the most common complication of HBOT and can lead to lung collapse or middle ear injuries [17].
That is why hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not recommended for those with lung disease or recent ear injury.
Then special care has to be taken with children less than 15 years old because their risk of barotrauma is higher than in adults [18].
Pressure equalization ear tubes are typically suggested to prevent them from sustaining middle ear injuries.
Oxygen Toxicity
Because the body is taking in more oxygen than it usually does during HBOT, there’s a risk of oxygen toxicity, which presents as seizures.
However, according to a five-year broad study, oxygen toxicity happens in about 3 in 10,000 treatments, constituting less than a 1% probability of occurring [19].
And your doctor can resolve this immediately once the oxygen source is removed.
Temporary Myopia
Myopia, also called nearsightedness, is an eye defect in which close objects are clearly visible while faraway objects appear blurry.
Temporary myopia has been observed as a complication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy due to oxidation in the eye lens.
But a study showed that delivering oxygen through a mask instead of a hood reduced the risk of nearsightedness [20].
Conclusion
The human body ordinarily needs oxygen to function effectively.
And the entire purpose of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is to improve the body’s functioning by making more than the usual amount of oxygen available.
Under normal pressure, the body cannot accommodate that extra oxygen, so the air pressure is increased in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber when delivering pure oxygen.
This chamber could be pressurized with oxygen directly, as seen in the monoplace rooms. But alternatively, staff could pressurize regular air in the section while oxygen is delivered through a mask, as seen in the multiplace chambers.
But however it is done, blood is eventually hyperoxygenated. And this comes with several benefits, including improved wound healing and immunity.
Now armed with scientific proof lacking in the 17th century, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is currently approved to treat several medical conditions, such as severe anemia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and bacterial infections.
It also improves the condition of autistic children and those who have experienced a traumatic brain injury or stroke.
Regular sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy provide long-lasting benefits that help the body improve oxygenation on its own and can ultimately slow down the aging process.
But as with all medical interventions, there are risks associated with HBOT, like middle ear injuries, oxygen toxicity, and temporary nearsightedness.
However, they are rare because trained medical experts take enough precautions. And they can be entirely resolved even if they occur.
Now that you see what the body benefits from improved oxygenation, we bet you’ll be excited bout our upcoming article on the controversial ozone therapy.
References:
[1]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3915523/
[2]. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675712005761?via%3Dihub
[3]. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-475X.2008.00372.x
[4]. Hyperbaric Oxygen Enhances Collagen III Formation in Wound of ZDF Rat – PMC.
[5]. https://europepmc.org/article/med/11199291
[6]. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005005.pub4/full
[7]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6785945/
[8]. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332218354829
[9]. Are Reactive Oxygen Species Always Detrimental to Pathogens? – PMC.
[10]. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12192-020-01121-0
[11]. https://www.cdc.gov/pictureofamerica/pdfs/picture_of_america_poisoning.pdf
[12]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470531/
[13]. (PDF) Cerebral Hypoperfusion in Autism Spectrum Disorder
[14]. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987706001198
[15]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20021403/
[16]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34784294/
[17]. (PDF) The safety of hyperbaric oxygen treatment – retrospective analysis in 2,334 patients
[18]. Side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in children with cerebral palsy
[19]. Central nervous system oxygen toxicity during routine hyperbaric oxygen therapy
[20]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7039782/