How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Work?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a well-established treatment for cancer and other immunosuppressive diseases. For HBOT, the patient lies down and breathes pure oxygen through a mask inside of a sealed chamber, while the pressure inside of the chamber is slowly raised to 2-3 times that of the normal atmosphere.
At this pressure, oxygen, which is normally delivered to the tissues through the body’s hemoglobin in the red blood cells, is dissolved in all of the body fluids, including the plasma (which is the pale-yellow liquid component of blood that normally holds the blood cells in suspension); and the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, spinal cord, and lymph.
This oxygen is then transported to all of the tissues. With HBOT, the cells receive 15 times more oxygen than they would under normal conditions, and the lungs can gather up to three times more oxygen than they otherwise would by breathing in a normal environment. HBOT is medicine’s most efficient method of transporting oxygen throughout the body.
At the Center, we combine our patients’ hyperbaric oxygen sessions with nutraceutical supplements (products that are derived from food sources) and a medication called Trental (Pentoxifylline), which thins the blood and enhances blood flow and oxygenation to the tissues. We call this procedure Oxidative Preconditioning Therapy. The effects of a 90-minute HBOT session last about 4-5 hours.
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
HBOT can help your body to recover from cancer in a number of ways. Cancer cells hate oxygen and survive in an anaerobic environment, so when they are exposed to high levels of oxygen, they die.
HBOT also substantially repairs healthy cells and stimulates your body to release growth factors and stem cells that promote healing. Additionally, it has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation.
Many doctors use it on patients who have received radiation therapy, to reduce inflammation in the bones and adjacent tissues, since radiation damages these parts of the body.
Hyperbaric Treatments at IAH Wellness
HBOT TREATMENTS take place in a clinical setting at our clinic in Andorra. Patients breathe pure oxygen while the treatment system is at 2 to 3 times that of normal atmosphere.
At this pressure, oxygen, which is normally delivered to tissues via the hemoglobin in red blood cells, dissolves in all of your body’s fluids – the plasma, cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and spinal cord, and lymph. It is then easily transported to all tissues, even those with poor blood flow. Up to 15 times the oxygen will be delivered to tissues than under normal conditions.
The typical treatment session lasts around an hour, during which you can watch a movie, listen to music, read, or simply relax. We work with your primary care physician to customize a treatment regimen for your specific needs, typically from 5 to 40 sessions.
Chemotherapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Chemotherapeutic agents attack cancer cells largely by acting as potent oxidants, but they do not distinguish between malignant and normal cells, and thus damage healthy as well as cancer tissue.
Repeated HBOT Therapy sessions prior to chemotherapy may ensure that the body’s normal tissues are in much better condition to cope with the oxidative stress imposed by the subsequent chemotherapy. Thus, the intent of Oxidative Preconditioning Therapy is to make chemotherapy more tolerable for the patient while simultaneously improving the ability of the cancer treatment to destroy the tumor.
What Conditions Can HBOT Treat?
HBOT HAS PROVEN TO MINIMIZE scarring, reduce swelling and shorten the recuperation period of many patients undergoing cosmetic surgery. When the skin is damaged or burned during a procedure, the capillaries supplying oxygen to the skin allow fluid into the surrounding tissues which causes swelling and pain.
Inflammation decreases blood flow to the injured area and also interferes with proper alignment of the severed edges resulting in scars and infection. Our staff will work with your Cosmetic Surgeon to design the optimum regimen specifically for the procedure you are undertaking with your skin and general health.
