Chronic wound does not heal in an orderly process. Wounds which tend not to heal within three months are regarded as chronic wound in terms of medical science. In most of the cases, these wounds are related to diabetes or arterial diseases. These wounds are quite dangerous because they may reduce the span of life. Hyperbaric therapy for wound healing has become a ray of hope for a number of people suffering from chronic wounds. In this article, we are going to discuss how hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT can help these people. But, it is important to have a fair knowledge on chronic wound before delving into the main discussion.
Signs and Symptoms
- Severe pain at night, rest and during several activities
- Fever
- Redness around the affected area
Reasons behind Chronic Wounds
Which are the main requirements of healing? Good blood circulation, proper supply of oxygen and nutrients things a patient needs to cure his wound. Lack of any of these requirements may cause chronic wound.
Types of Chronic Wound
Here, I have listed three major types of chronic wounds along with their causes and indications.
- Infectious Wounds
No matter what is the type of an infection, bacterial, viral, or fungal, if it is not treated properly, wound will take turn into a chronic one.
- Ischemic Wounds
Ischemic wound takes place when the affected area is not getting required blood supply. When blood supply is limited, nutrients and oxygen, carried by the blood will not be supplied as well. In such a condition, it is difficult to avoid chronic wound.
- Surgical Wounds
Surgical wounds appears at the site of a surgical incision. Affected tissues become red, swollen, and hot. These are the indications that the incision area is going to be infected.
Now,let’s move to our main discussion – how you can get rid of chronic wounds with hyperbaric therapy wound healing.
What’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT is a medical treatment that increases the supply of oxygen to those wounded areas which are not giving response to any other treatments. It repairs the wounded tissues and enhances the healing process by regulating blood circulation. HBOT influences the formation of new capillary blood vessels and stimulates the growth of the stem cells.
How does it Work?
HBOT is provided in a chamber. In a hyperbaric chamber, the air pressure is increased to three times higher than the sea level pressure. In this atmosphere, a patient’s body can get more oxygen in comparison to the normal atmosphere. This process helps the body fight bacteria and controls the growth factors and stem cells. In this way, hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes healing process.
When you will enter the chamber, a mask will be provided. Slowly, you will experience how the air is being pushed into the chamber. Doctors has named this process after “compression”. You may feel a fullness in your ear which you might have felt a number of times in aircrafts. At the end of your session, the mask will be taken away and gradually the air will be released from the chamber. This process has been called “decompression”.
Case Study
The case of Bryant, a 63 years old man established the effectiveness of hyperbaric therapy wound healing. Bryant was affected by chronic wounds on the lower portion of his body and these wounds were not responding to any treatment. He could not walk. Amputation seemed to be the last option. However, his doctors decided to try hyperbaric oxygen therapy and it was the last hope for Bryant. You would be glad to know that it worked like a miracle and Bryant started to get back to his normal life soon.
According to a study, Hyperbaric therapy wound healing process is able to minimize the risk factors like the need of amputation.
A Final Takeaway
Now, hyperbaric therapy wound healing process is being prescribed by a number of physicians. Amputation is not the only solution to get rid of chronic wound. Nobody wants to lose a body part. If you too are suffering from chronic wound, you should consult your physician about hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
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