How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?
Oxygen that is delivered to a patient in a hyperbaric chamber greatly increases the amount that can be delivered to body tissues by the blood. The benefits of hyperbaric oxygen are not from oxygen in contact with the surface of the body, but from breathing it and getting more into the bloodstream.
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Increased pressure allows for oxygen to dissolve and saturate the blood plasma, which yields a broad variety of positive physiological, biochemical and cellular effects. The patient will lay back, relax, and breathe normally with an oxygen mask on and secure to ensure optimal oxygen is getting into their system.
The hyperbaric oxygen environment changes the relative pressures of oxygen, nitrogen, and other gases in the blood, organs, and tissues. Normally oxygen is carried by hemoglobin on red blood cells but under higher pressures, oxygen dissolves in the blood plasma. This oxygen-rich plasma is now able to travel 3 to 4 times deeper into the tissue supporting the healing process.
