Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, is a protocol that uses high-pressure oxygen to improve blood flow and heal tissue. It’s been used for years to treat things like carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness, but more recently it’s been shown to help treat PTSD. In this post, we’ll take a look at what HBOT is, how it works, and some of the evidence that supports its use in treating PTSD.
What is PTSD?
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a mental health condition that can be triggered by exposure to a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and depression. Many people who experience a traumatic event do not develop PTSD, but for those who do, the condition can be debilitating. Treatment for PTSD typically includes therapy and medication.
PTSD is a serious mental health condition that can have a profound impact on an individual’s life. While there are various treatments available, including medication and therapy, one innovative treatment option that is showing promise is HBOT.
How Does PTSD Affect your Body?
How many times in your life have you experienced panic attacks? Not sure. Right? Post-traumatic stress disorder is the one that mainly deals with pain and traumatic situations. In most cases, people do not generally recognize that PTSD affects their mental and overall physical health.
PTSD is a mental health condition mainly caused due to some terrifying event. It mostly leads a patient to nightmares, severe anxiety, flashbacks, and uncontrollable thoughts about a particular event. The leading causes involve facing dangerous and scary events that develop this disorder in a person’s mind. Besides this, some other factors known as resilience factors increase the risk of PTSD in your brain cells. Here is a brief overview of how it affects your body and specifically brain tissues:
- Your blood pressure increase from the regular degree
- An increased heart rate
- Muscle tension and fatigue
- Headache, joint pain, and other similar types of pain
Recent studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an effective way to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder quickly. What does this therapy involve, and how it helps in eliminating the disorder? Let’s have a deep look at it below.
What Phases are Included during HBOT?
Oxyhelp offers different types of chambers including Monoplace and multiplace chambers which can be used to treat one user at a time or multiple users at once. The session can be divided into the following three steps:
Compression Phase
Before starting the session, the patient comfortably lies on a table. Then, an oxygen mask is set to take deep breaths in it. Meanwhile, it would help if you gradually increased the pressure in the chamber.
Treatment Phase
The patient is asked to put the mask on when the pressure reaches an appropriate level. This is done to provide pure oxygen for breathing. However, patients can read, listen to music, or watch TV during this session because it may last for 45 to 300 minutes, depending on the situation. Unlike other chamber that are filled with 100% oxygen, Oxyhelp chambers are filled with 2 ATM of air whereas 95% oxygen is supplied to the user through medical-grade tubing.
Decomposition Phase
Once the session is over, the pressure in the chamber will slowly drop back to normal. Finally, the patient can leave.
You are always suggested to go through an HBOT session under the supervision of your doctor. He will ensure when and how to take breaks during the session and pop your ears to ease the pressure.
How Does HBOT Effects PTSD?
According to the studies, a traumatic event usually causes physical changes in your brain. In such a situation, HBOT is considered beneficial to increase the ability of a brain to form new connections (neuroplasticity) and promote the healing of physical damage.
Besides taking medication and psychotherapy, Hyperbaric oxygen chambers have the highest ability to form new plasma cells and make a strong attachment to your brain tissues. Below-mentioned is some promises that HBOT shows when it comes to the treatment of PTSD:
- It improves blood flow and reduces inflammation.
- Repair damaged brain tissue.
- Stimulate the growth of new blood vessels and tissue
- Reduce the risk of anxiety and depression
Furthermore, several studies have been done on military personnel suffering from PTSD treated by HBOT. Fortunately, after four weeks of HBOT, a significant reduction in symptoms was shown. In addition to the reduction of psychoactive medications, they recovered from anxiety and depression.
Precautions
When discussing the main effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, it is essential to remember that not all people develop it. Most patients who have PTSD have temporary risk factors that are acute and less hazardous. However, the one that develops the chronic condition of PTSD has to take essential precautions for quick recovery.
Undoubtedly, HBOT is a safe protocol, but it is not for everyone. Patients with lung issues, ear injuries, fever, or cold should never undergo this therapy. Though there are no severe side effects, some patients may experience fatigue, vision issues, and sinus and ear problems.
Your Best Bet For Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Although hyperbaric oxygen is an additional therapy to ease the specific symptoms of PTSD disorder, it is highly effective in taking you away from all kinds of traumatic situations. With Oxyhelp, you are just one step away from getting rid of scary and dangerous disorders.
From Monobaric chambers to automatic pressure control technology, we hold the best possible hbot chambers for your needs. Whether you are suffering from PTSD or brain fog, our high-quality and interior ventilated oxygen chambers keep you in safe hands. Don’t look further; call us now for a smooth and optimal therapy session.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a promising protocol for PTSD. It has been found to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation, as well as repair damaged brain tissue. There are some precautions you should take before undergoing HBOT, but if you suffer from PTSD, it may be worth considering this option. If you’re interested in trying HBOT, we recommend talking with your doctor about the best way to proceed.
