What exactly is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
The Basic Mechanism of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Diseases
The body inhaling pure oxygen or high concentration oxygen in an environment higher than one atmospheric pressure (1.0ATA) is called hyperbaric oxygen, and the method of using hyperbaric oxygen to treat diseases is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen medicine mainly studies and solves various physiology, pathology, biochemistry and other medical problems related to hyperbaric oxygen or high pressure.
Clinical practice at home and abroad has confirmed that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a significant effect on certain diseases such as carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, anaerobic infection, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, sudden deafness, etc. Its basic mechanism is as follows

1. Hyperbaric oxygen can increase the partial pressure of blood oxygen and increase the diffusion distance of oxygen
Compared with breathing air under normal pressure (1.0 ATA), in the hyperbaric oxygen environment of 2.0 ATA, the partial pressure of blood oxygen can be increased to about 14 times, and the blood oxygen content, tissue partial pressure of oxygen and oxygen content are also increased accordingly. The diffusion distance of oxygen in the capillaries of cerebral gray matter under normal pressure is 30 μm, and the diffusion distance of oxygen can be increased to 100 μm under 3.0 ATA hyperbaric oxygen. These effects are beneficial to improve or correct tissue hypoxia.


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  2. Mechanical action of hyperbaric oxygen – shrinking air bubbles in the body
In the hyperbaric oxygen environment, when the air pressure gradually increases, the diameter of the bubble will gradually shrink, and the volume will also shrink accordingly. The oxygen partial pressure outside the bubble is higher than the oxygen partial pressure inside the bubble, and oxygen can replace the nitrogen in the bubble, which accelerates the disappearance of the bubble. Therefore, hyperbaric oxygen has a unique effect on air embolism and decompression sickness.



3. Hyperbaric oxygen reduces tissue edema
Hyperbaric oxygen has a vasoconstrictive effect on the blood vessels of most vital organs. Hyperbaric oxygen can constrict carotid arteries, reduce cerebral blood flow, and reduce vascular permeability. Some studies have found that under the hyperbaric oxygen of 2.0ATA, the cerebral blood flow is reduced by 21%, and the intracranial pressure is reduced by 36%, which can effectively control the cerebral edema. Hyperbaric oxygen is also effective in reducing local tissue edema in burns, crush injuries, and compartment syndrome. Although the local tissue blood perfusion is reduced, the blood oxygen partial pressure is greatly increased, which is enough to improve tissue hypoxia, thus breaking the vicious circle between tissue hypoxia and tissue edema.


4. Antibacterial effect of hyperbaric oxygen
Hyperbaric oxygen has an inhibitory effect on the growth and reproduction of anaerobic bacteria or some aerobic bacteria, and has a synergistic effect with some antibiotics such as aminoglycosides to increase the bacteriostatic and bactericidal ability of antibiotics. The phagocytic and bactericidal ability of phagocytes decreases in hypoxia. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve the phagocytic, bactericidal and phagocytic necrotic ability of phagocytes, and increase their anti-infection and foci elimination effects.