Scuba and deep-sea divers troubled by the abrupt change in atmospheric pressure can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the UK. But did you know that other medical conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning and diabetic foot ulcers can also be treated with HBOT?
Illnesses for which the FDA has approved the sale of hyperbaric chambers
A medical device must meet the same safety and effectiveness standards as another of its kind that is lawfully marketed in the United States in order to receive FDA certification. The FDA has approved hyperbaric chambers as of July 2021 for the following conditions:
Air and gas bubbles in blood vessels
- Anaemia (when blood transfusions cannot be used)
- Burns (severe and large burns)
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Crush injury
- Decompression sickness (diving risk)
- Gas gangrene
- Hearing loss
- Severe skin and bone infection
- Injury due to radiation
- Skin graft flap at risk of tissue death
- Vision loss
- Wounds (non-healing, diabetic foot ulcers)
For other ailments, such as COVID-19, HBOT is being researched. To treat COVID-19 or any other conditions aside from those mentioned above, the FDA has not yet approved or authorised the use of any HBOT devices.
Prior to beginning therapy
Here are some aspects you should know before receiving treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber:
1. Don’t show up sick to appointments
If you have a cold or another disease with symptoms of the flu, high blood pressure, fever, or frequent loose stools, your treatment may be postponed. An injured inner ear may result from a patient’s inability to empty their ears if they have a cold.
2. Preventative medication avoidance is advisable
The effects of some drugs may be altered by oxygen. Some chemotherapies, a topical ointment for wounds, and a prescription that reduces alcohol intake in patients with a history of alcohol dependence are a few examples of medications that cannot be taken concurrently with therapy.
To discuss any medications you are taking, make sure to consult your doctor and other healthcare professionals in advance.
3. Be prepared to spend a few hours
Sessions in the hyperbaric chamber run slightly longer than two hours and are often planned once per day, five days per week. Before the therapy is finished, your doctor can recommend 30 or more sessions. The number of treatments you receive frequently depends on how quickly your disease gets better.
The actual treatment lasts roughly 110 minutes, including two 10-minute air breaks and 90 minutes of oxygen. The remaining time is used for the ascent and descent.
4. You might think you’re in an aeroplane
Some claim that the beginning of this therapy is similar to taking off on a plane. Your ears may feel like they are popping as a result of the pressure that is increasing inside the chamber.
We have protocols during our treatments that help avoid putting a patient in a scenario where they have fluid buildup or pain in their ears.
5. A few possible negative effects to consider
Following therapy, feeling worn out is typical, as is experiencing pain in your ears or sinuses or the sensation of fluid accumulation in your ears.
Being confined in the hyperbaric chamber in London could make you feel nervous if you have claustrophobia. Changes in vision and finger numbness are possible, but both often go away throughout treatment. You can experience dizziness or even giddiness due to the increased pressure and breathing in 100% oxygen.
Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss hyperbaric oxygen therapy if you have a persistent wound or another illness that can benefit from it, such as severe anaemia. You can decide if this operation is correct for you with the aid of your doctor.
