It dramatically raises the oxygen level in the bloodstream and dissolves oxygen into all body fluids, including plasma, central nervous system fluids, lymph and bone. Up to 15 times more oxygen is delivered to damaged tissue than through normal respiration. The added oxygen that is delivered to the soft tissue surrounding a problem wound aids in the healing. First used as a treatment for decompression sickness and other diving accidents, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has proven highly effective for a number of medical conditions. It is typically used to augment other treatments and enhance the body's natural healing process.
Patients lie in a horizontal total body chamber with transparent double-acrylic walls.
When the chamber is sealed, patients inhale 10 times as much oxygen as at sea level and experience approximately twice the atmospheric pressure. They rarely feel any more discomfort than they would from changes in air pressure during airplane travel. While in the chamber patients can communicate with the attending technicians who are able to closely monitor patients. Patients have a clear outward view and most choose to take a nap, listen to music, or even watch television. In addition to problem wounds, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also used for tissue damage following radiation therapy, preparation for tooth extraction in areas previously treated with radiation, crush injuries, exceptional blood loss, intracranial abscess, decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning.