Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Definition

Oxygen is essential for the functioning of the human body. It is absorbed through the lungs and released into the blood. Through the blood, the oxygen is distributed throughout the body.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, also called hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), has the function of increasing the concentration of oxygen present in the blood. In this way, it should be possible to ensure that even tissues with poor blood circulation receive sufficient oxygen or that an oxygen deficiency is corrected. This increase in concentration is achieved by ventilation with pure oxygen in a chamber with an increased ambient pressure of 1.5 to 3 bar absolute.

Indication

The goal of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is always to improve the oxygen supply. This can have various positive effects, which can contribute to healing in the following disease states. However, HBO is always to be seen only as an addition to standard therapy or in case of failure of previous therapies.

For example, the bacteria that cause gas fires can only grow when oxygen is not available. For this reason, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat this bacterial infection. The bacteria die due to the high oxygen pressure.

With tinnitus, it is assumed that a lack of oxygen in the inner ear can be the cause. Therefore, it can be tried to treat the tinnitus with hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve the oxygen supply to the inner ear and strengthen the immune system. This goal is also pursued in the treatment of sudden deafness with HBO.

However, in both cases there is no clear evidence for the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Therapy-refractory bone marrow inflammation (osteomyelitis) is an indication for HBO with a high degree of evidence, as it can not only improve blood circulation, but also increase bone formation, collagen synthesis and the formation of new blood vessels. Furthermore, HBO can be used in the early stages of Ahlbäck’s disease, aseptic osteonecrosis of the knee joint, or bone marrow edema.

In this case, HBO supports the formation of new blood vessels, which leads to better blood circulation, has an anti-edematous effect and supports natural healing. Even chronic wounds can be stimulated to heal with the support of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This also includes wounds in the context of a diabetic foot syndrome.