WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MILD HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (m-HBOT)?
Again, one of the key determinants of HBOT is pressure and the greater the pressure, the greater the amount of dissolved oxygen into the body. Note, it does not take much pressure to deliver extra amounts of physiologically- available oxygen. During m-HBOT, the added pressure allows extra oxygen to be absorbed and transferred from the lungs into the blood, causing a greater saturation of blood oxygen levels. As this rich oxygenated blood makes its way to damaged tissue, extra oxygen is now readily available and can be potentially utilized for enhancing tissue repair and regeneration while also still being able to provide its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. The FDA once again cautions the use of HBOT, including m-HBOT if it’s not used for one of the approved medical conditions, in this case ‘altitude sickness’. Although these lower pressures have both been reported to have significant benefits, which are now being supported and validated though clinical research trials, we would still encourage you to follow the FDA guidelines in looking into ‘medically-approved’ options if you are looking at using m-HBOT to help with a medical condition.
DO I HAVE TO BREATHE 100% OXYGEN OR AMBIENT AIR?
Traditionally, hyperbaric oxygen is defined as breathing 100% oxygen under pressure. However, ambient air still contains 21% oxygen, and when you breathe it under pressure, more oxygen wi ll get transferred into the body. More importantly, the extra oxygen enters the blood plasma (liquid) and gets oxygen into much deeper areas (i.e., where inflammation impedes blood flow) and in places where red blood cells cannot normally reach. This is a great technique to achieve greater levels of oxygen without the associated risks of being in high oxygen environments.
WHAT TYPE OF CHAMBER IS USED?
Our chamber is an OxyHealth mild hyperbaric chamber that goes to a depth of 1.3ATA, allowing you to use the option of either filtered room air or higher oxygen concentrations through the use of an Air-Sep Medical Oxygen Concentrator. Our chamber provides a free-flow system of air, allowing the internal environment to remain continually fresh, while providing added safety measures for eliminating any fire concerns, by not allowing oxygen levels to build up to dangerous levels. OxyHealth hyperbaric chambers have had a flawless record in clinical activity.
WHAT IS MY ROLE AND RESPONSIBLILTY TO ENSURE SAFETY?
Your role is quite simple: to show up on time, communicate with our staff and attendants each time, and let them know if there are any changes in your health. For example, you may have reported on your first visit that you were not pregnant, but when you come in for multiple visits it is your responsibility to let us know if there are any changes in your health, and in this example it would be ‘if you are potentially pregnant. This is the reason why the checklist for on-going hyperbaric sessions* must be answered each time you go into the hyperbaric chamber. This is for your safety and once again it is your responsibility to let us know each time you go in ‘if there are any changes’ in your health.