Let me introduce you to the magical hyperbaric oxygen

Author: Jin Xiaoyuan, Yang Weimin, Guan Zhongyan, Jilin University First Hospital

Reviewer: Sun Mingli, Chief Physician, First Hospital of Jilin University

When it comes to hyperbaric oxygen, many people may not know what it is, nor what problems hyperbaric oxygen therapy can solve. Today, we will give you a good scientific introduction.

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What does a hyperbaric oxygen chamber look like?

Sometimes we see patients lying in a sealed tank with a respirator in movies and TV shows. In fact, that "big tank" is a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. What we call hyperbaric oxygen refers to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is the process of inhaling high-concentration oxygen (oxygen concentration> 95%) in an environment with a pressure higher than 1 atmosphere.

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What is the scope of hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen medicine originated from diving medicine, is a branch of hyperbaric medicine, and belongs to the category of special medicine. Today, the treatment scope of hyperbaric oxygen medicine has spread to various clinical departments such as internal medicine, surgery, critical care, pediatrics, ENT, and rehabilitation, becoming a multidisciplinary clinical discipline, providing medical services to more patients.

What diseases can hyperbaric oxygen treat?

1. First aid for toxic gas poisoning

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Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a particularly effective and important first aid method for poisoning by toxic gases such as carbon monoxide. In the TV series "Surgeons", two old men who were poisoned by carbon monoxide after grilling skewers at home were sent to the hospital and were rescued after hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

2. Awakening treatment for comatose patients

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In recent years, the incidence of craniocerebral injuries after cerebrovascular diseases and traffic accidents has been increasing. With the improvement of medical treatment technology, a large number of patients have received timely treatment, and their vital signs have gradually stabilized, but patients are likely to face consciousness disorders, that is, coma. Early rehabilitation treatment combined with hyperbaric oxygen and drugs can achieve the purpose of awakening.

3. Treatment of sudden deafness

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Sudden deafness is also called sensorineural deafness. Its main clinical manifestations are sudden hearing loss, with or without tinnitus, blocked ears, dizziness, etc. In addition to conventional treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also an important treatment method. Hyperbaric oxygen clinical studies have shown that conventional treatment + hyperbaric oxygen therapy can increase the improvement rate of sudden deafness by 20% to 30% compared with conventional treatment!

4. Role in health care

Helps eliminate fatigue and improve intelligence

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Oxygen inhalation can significantly improve fatigue syndrome such as lack of physical strength, dizziness, insomnia, memory loss and lack of appetite.

Helps to beautify the skin

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Oxygen inhalation can enhance the aerobic metabolism of human cells, increase skin nutrition and elasticity, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. As the metabolic function of skin cells is enhanced, melanin deposition is reduced, ecchymosis is reduced, and the effect of skin beautification is achieved.

Regular oxygen inhalation can prevent the occurrence of geriatric diseases

As people age, their blood vessels become harder and their lung function declines, causing the oxygen partial pressure in their arterial blood to gradually decrease. Inhaling oxygen can significantly increase the oxygen partial pressure and prevent the occurrence of many geriatric diseases.

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Helps improve male sexual function

Oxygen inhalation can enhance vision, improve presbyopia, and help improve male sexual function, maintain vigorous energy, and improve the quality of life. Oxygen inhalation can also promote physical recovery after exercise.

Improve sub-health status

In modern society, the work intensity is high, and people often show discomfort in physical, psychological and social environment, and are in a sub-healthy state between health and disease. According to surveys, about 60% of people are in a sub-healthy state; the proportion among young and middle-aged intellectuals can reach 78%. Experiments have shown that oxygen inhalation is very effective in improving sub-healthy conditions.

Who should not undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Knowing that hyperbaric oxygen has so many benefits, are you tempted? Do you want to breathe oxygen? But be careful! The following people mentioned in the picture cannot undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

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In short, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has many benefits, but whether it is necessary to do it depends on the doctor's advice!