HBO2
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen is a treatment in which a person breathes pure oxygen under greater than normal pressure. Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the blood, is almost completely saturated with oxygen in normal day-to-day life. Instead of binding more oxygen to hemoglobin HBO2 increases the free oxygen in body fluids enabling better perfusion of tissues. This extra oxygen generates a cascade of events that helps reduce inflammation, promote healing, reduce swelling, and improve the blood supply through angiogenesis. When HBO2 is offered through a hyperbaric centre administered by trained professionals, hyperbaric oxygen becomes an extremely safe, non-invasive, and effective treatment. For many conditions, there are increased health benefits associated with using HBO2 in combination with other therapies. HBO2 has given hope to many individuals who have exhausted all other treatment alternatives. At present there are 13 accepted HBO2 indications which are covered by medical insurance through hospitals. The medical and research communities are investigating many more proposed conditions for which HBO2 has been found to be effective.
Discussion (detailed information on the uses of HBOT)
