Oxygen chambers that supply pure oxygen at high pressure are known as hyperbaric chambers. Usually, in ambient air, the air pressure is equivalent to 76 millimeters of mercury. In a hyperbaric chamber, this pressure is increased two to three times.
Under the such high pressure of oxygen, the human lungs can get a higher concentration of pure oxygen than under normal breathing conditions. Research from several medical institutions has shown that breathing pure air at high concentrations has several health benefits increasing the body’s immunity, hastening wound healing, etc.
Hence, hyperbaric air chambers are frequently used to heal a number of health issues and to speed up recovery after an injury. So if you want to get your own hyperbaric oxygen chamber, you can go to oxyhelp.com.
Hyperbaric Chambers Are Great For Wound Healing
1. Boosts The Production Of Growth Promoting Proteins
The human body uses several proteins to grow. The body can grow in primarily two ways. It can grow due to an increase in the size of individual cells, or it can grow due to an increase in the number of cells. The process which leads to increased production (number) of cells is known as proliferation.
Any injury needs the remaining cells to proliferate rapidly so as to close the wound and heal the tissue. A high concentration of pure oxygen boosts the production of growth-promoting factors that stimulate the proliferation of body cells.
Some growth-promoting proteins also help the body’s undifferentiated (young and immature cells) to differentiate and become mature cells. Hence, growth-promoting proteins induce the formation of newly differentiated cells like skin cells and blood vessels, which will eventually replace the old and damaged cells.
Some growth-promoting proteins also help young, immature cells to form bone cells. Hence, if someone has suffered from bone damage, breathing air that has a high concentration of oxygen can heal the bone faster.
2. Inhibits The Breakdown Of Proteins
In the human body, there is always an interplay between the proteins that increase cell production and those that accelerate cell degradation. Breathing pure oxygen at high concentrations helps wound healing by regulating both these processes.
Hyperbaric treatment increases the production of new cells, and, it also retards the degradation of old cells. In the body, there are certain enzymes that are known as proteolytic enzymes. Proteolytic means those enzymes that degrade proteins of the cells. High oxygen concentration retards the action of proteolytic enzymes, and thus, it retards the degradation of the body’s cells.
3. Protects The Body Against Bacteria
The skin is the biggest protective organ of the body. It protects the body against the invasion of harmful bacteria. However, in case of any bodily injury like burns or diabetes-related wounds, the skin surface is damaged. Hence, the body is infected with harmful bacteria that produce toxins that can cause fever, pus formation, etc.
Pure oxygen at high concentrations helps break down bacterial toxins. Apart from this, it also aids the natural immune system to help fight bacteria.
Most harmful bacteria that produce toxins do not have the enzymes that are needed to tolerate high concentrations of oxygen. Hence species of Clostridium bacteria die quickly when an injured patient undergoes a hyperbaric treatment.
A high concentration of pure oxygen also produces reactive oxides, also known as ROS. These reactive species are harmful to the structural integrity of proteins. However, at lower concentrations, ROS can be beneficial to the body. At lower concentrations, the ROS can damage the proteins of the bacterial cell wall without causing significant harm to human proteins. Hence, ROS proteins created in a hyperbaric chamber can also help fight against bacterial infection.
4. Reduces The Chances Of Tissue Death
Whenever any tissue is injured, it results in inflammation. Inflammation decreases the flow of oxygenated blood in the injured areas of the body. If any part of the body is deprived of oxygen for a long time, it starts dying.
A high concentration of oxygen reduces inflammation. If inflammation is reduced, it prevents the deprivation of oxygen from body parts and prevents tissue death.
5. Promotes The Growth Of Structural Proteins
A high concentration of oxygen promotes the growth of structural proteins like collagen and elastin. These proteins cover and protect the body’s surface. Proteins like collagen stimulate the regeneration of skin and blood vessels and help recover from injuries.
6. Helps In Cases Of Reperfusion
When a body part is wounded, the blood flow to that area may be hindered for some time. This lack of blood flow damages the blood vessels in such a way that they are unable to transport blood even after reperfusion (reinfusion of blood).
A hyperbaric oxygen chamber prevents damage to a blood-deprived vessel. It encourages the body’s natural free radical scavenging machinery to prevent harm to the injured blood-deprived vessels.
7. Improves The Effect Of Antibiotics
Doctors often prescribe a cocktail of antibiotics to deal with injury-related bacterial growth. Some studies have shown that high concentration of oxygen helps improve the effectiveness of some antibiotics. These studies have shown that antibiotics that kill Staphylococcus species become more effective when given in combination with hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
Conclusion
Hyperbaric chambers have been shown to be effective in dealing with a large number of chronic and acute injuries. It is used for the treatment of diabetes-related neuropathy, burn injuries, accident wounds, etc.
However, many patients are worried about the side effects and the effectiveness of a hyperbaric chamber. Some people fear that these chambers can cause a lung to collapse, yet others worry that they might cause skin burns, harm the eye, and ears, or cause seizures. However, these chambers have been in use for quite some time now, and the benefits usually outdo the harms.
Moreover, professional clinics undertake due precaution before proceeding with the treatment. Most doctors will take a detailed patient history and disallow those patients who suffer from lung diseases, have an injured spinal cord or have undergone eye or ear surgery. Hyperbaric chambers are recommended in combination with other treatment procedures, and in most cases, they accelerate the healing process.
