Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves the use of near pure oxygen delivered at high pressure in a sealed chamber.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the first documented usage of hyperbaric medical therapy was in 1662. A British physician created the “domicillium” which consisted of a pressurised airtight chamber in which pressure could be increased using bellows. He used it to treat various medical conditions, even before we really understood how gases worked.
In the early 1900s, Dr. John Scott Haldane created a decompression model to help treat divers who got sick when ascending after being too deep underwater. But it was not until the 1930s that doctors started using pressurised oxygen to treat decompression sickness. During World War II, doctors developed better hyperbaric treatment methods specifically for Navy divers.
In 1959, Dr. Ite Boerema conducted a well-known study “Life Without Blood,” which demonstrated the potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in keeping pigs alive despite haemoglobin levels that would typically be fatal. The study involved removing all the red blood cells from the pigs and replacing their volume with a plasma or plasma-like solution that was hyperoxygenated with HBOT. After the treatment, the pigs were re-infused with blood and showed a successful recovery. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Nowadays, we understand more about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy works. It has become a popular therapy for a variety of health conditions, as well as for anti-ageing and general well-being.
HBOT works by increasing the amount of oxygen in the body, and this has numerous benefits. When you breathe in air, it contains only about 21% oxygen. In the hyperbaric chamber, the air pressure is increased, which means that more oxygen can dissolve in the blood. This allows oxygen to be delivered to tissues and organs that may not be getting enough oxygen under normal conditions.
One of the main benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is that it improves circulation. When oxygen levels in the body are increased, blood vessels dilate, allowing for more blood flow. This helps improve the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to cells and tissues throughout the body, which leads to increased energy levels and improved overall health.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation is a natural response of the body to injury or infection, but chronic inflammation can lead to a range of health problems, including arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. HBOT reduces inflammation in the body and helps prevent or alleviate these conditions.
One of the revolutionary findings is that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to improve brain function. The brain requires a lot of oxygen to function properly, and increasing the amount of oxygen available to the brain helps improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of mental disorders, PTSD and age-related cognitive decline.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also a popular complementary therapy for cancer patients. HBOT improves the effectiveness of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy by increasing oxygen levels in cancer cells, which can make them more susceptible to these treatments. It also helps patients recovering from side effects caused by cancer treatments.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should not be confused with ozone therapy. HBOT involves breathing in pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber, where the atmospheric pressure is increased to a level higher than the normal air pressure at sea level. This allows oxygen to dissolve in the blood plasma and reach tissues that are difficult to reach with normal breathing, thereby promoting healing and reducing inflammation.
On the other hand, ozone therapy involves administering a gas mixture of oxygen and ozone, which is a highly reactive molecule made up of three oxygen atoms, directly into the body. Ozone therapy is believed to work by increasing the amount of oxygen in the body and also by producing reactive oxygen species that stimulate the immune system. Ozone therapy uses a small and precise dose of ozone as the compound able to generate messengers crucial for activating biological functions.
HybO2 House is a cutting-edge hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic, in the heart of the historical city of Winchester, Hampshire. The clinic houses a selection of superior quality hyperbaric oxygen chambers for use by our clients to assist with the treatment of a wide range of ailments, conditions and complaints and to increase overall health, well-being and vitality.
If you are considering having a HBOT session, give our team a call on 01962 862 111