Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure, pressurized oxygen inside a sealed chamber called a hyperbaric chamber. Hbot is an FDA-approved treatment with many uses, from helping wounds heal faster to reducing swelling in people with arthritis. There are also some not-so-common uses for HBOT that can greatly impact your health and longevity.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy – https://oxyhelp.com/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-treatments/ – is an important treatment that many people fail to recognize as a great way to boost their healing and longevity. It uses high pressure inside the chamber and oxygen concentrators to increase the oxygen concentration in your bloodstream. The process allows your body to receive an increased amount of helpful pure oxygen under pressure, which has numerous benefits that can help you recover faster from injuries or illness and improve your general health.
How Does HBOT Help?
- Improved Tissue Repair – When your body experiences an injury, it responds by releasing chemicals into the bloodstream designed to trigger repair and healing. Once the issue is resolved, the body returns to normal, but when the injury is serious enough, it may not be able to resolve the issue quickly enough on its own. HBOT is designed to speed up tissue repair, increasing the oxygen in the bloodstream to help your body repair the injury.
- Improved Breathing Efficiency – People with lung issues benefit greatly from the increased oxygen that HBOT provides. Users with lung conditions like emphysema find the added oxygen helps them breathe easier, andusers with lung cancer find it can be a useful adjunctive treatment.
- Improved Immune System Function – The immune system is responsible for protecting the body from infection and disease. The body can fight off infections and other diseases when functioning at optimal levels. Still, when it’s weakened or compromised, it’s unable to protect the body from potentially harmful pathogens or toxins. HBOT can help boost the immune system, which can be helpful for individuals who have compromised immune systems due to age or illness.
- Improved Muscle Repair – One of the most common uses of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is with patients who experience muscle damage, like athletes who experience muscle tears and sprains, or people with weakened physical abilities like the elderly who experience falls. HBOT can help the body repair muscle by increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients in the bloodstream.
HBOT and Tissue Repair
- Wound Healing – The skin and the internal organs are dynamic tissues that constantly repair damage and regenerate new cells. HBOT is known to increase the presence of proteins related to tissue repairs, like collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. These proteins are essential for proper wound healing, so their increased presence makes wounds heal faster and with fewer complications.
- Venous Leg Ulcers – Leg ulcers that develop in the veins are challenging to treat. It can take months for them to heal, and they’re at risk of becoming infected. The risk of infection is related to the amount of time it takes for the wound to heal. HBOT has been shown to reduce the amount of healing time needed by these wounds. In cases where wounds didn’t heal, the added oxygen has been shown to jumpstart the healing process.
HBOT and Breathing Efficiency
- Asthma – Asthma patients often find their condition improves with HBOT. The increased amount of oxygen in the bloodstream helps the body produce less mucus and breathe more efficiently. This protocol may be appropriate for people with both mild and severe asthma.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – People with COPD find their condition is improved with HBOT. This protocol is often used with users who have moderate to severe COPD. HBOT can help reduce the amount of mucus produced by the respiratory system and increase the ease with which people take in and release air.
- Cystic Fibrosis – People with cystic fibrosis often need to use breathing assistance devices called “ventilators” to help them breathe. This can lead to lung damage, but HBOT has been shown to slow the progression of lung disease.
HBOT and the Immune System
- Radiation Injury – People receiving radiation therapy to treat cancer often develop skin damage as a result. This damage can trigger infections, which can be challenging to treat. HBOT has been shown to reduce the amount of time it takes for skin injuries to heal and reduce the risk of infection.
- Sickle Cell Disease – People with sickle cell disease often experience “crisis” periods when their blood cells don’t function properly. This can lead to organ damage and a greater risk of infection. HBOT has been shown to reduce the amount of time it takes for sickle cell crises to end. The added oxygen in the bloodstream helps the body produce energy more efficiently, which is important for managing sickle cell crises.
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Longevity
- Increased Oxygenation – By increasing the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, HBOT can help the body run more efficiently. This is particularly helpful for the elderly, whose bodies may be less efficient than they were in their youth. – Reduced Inflammation – While inflammation is necessary for healing, chronic inflammation can be problematic and lead to illnesses that are difficult to treat and shorten the lifespan. HBOT has been shown to reduce the amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream, which may reduce the risk of certain diseases.
- Enhanced Immune Function – The immune system’s ability to protect the body from pathogens and toxins is diminished as people age. HBOT has been shown to increase the number of white blood cells in the bloodstream, which may improve the body’s immune response.
How to Optimize Your Experience With HBOT?
- Stay Hydrated – The increased pressure inside the chamber can cause your body to lose water, so it’s important to stay hydrated while in the chamber.
- Take Your Medications – Medication stays in your bloodstream for a longer period when you’re receiving HBOT. Be sure to take your medications as prescribed so that you don’t incur any side effects from taking them too frequently. Be aware of their effect and dosage
- Stay Calm – Stress triggers the “fight or flight” response, which automatically triggers the release of cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals are helpful in certain circumstances, but they can also cause damage if they’re present for an extended period.
- Stay Active – While receiving HBOT, it’s important to remain active. This may not be easy inside the hyperbaric chamber, but it’s possible. You can read, listen to music, or engage in light stretching during your sessions.
