Research published recently has demonstrated that high-pressure oxygen in hyperbaric chambers can reverse two major processes that contribute to aging – shortening of telomeres and accumulation of old or malfunctioning cells within the body – by effectively stopping their aging processes and actually making cells younger. This innovative therapy could become part of healthcare providers’ arsenals for treating elderly patients.
Patients enter a chamber and lie down while an experienced therapist gradually increases pressure within. This method allows those suffering from claustrophobia to tolerate treatment more easily.
Increased Oxygen Availability
Hyperbaric oxygen chambers contain pure medical-grade oxygen at much higher pressures than can be found at sea level (1 atmosphere absolute or ATA). This allows greater absorption by blood and tissues for faster healing by reducing swelling, combatting infections, and undoing decompression sickness effects.
Hyperbaric therapy increases oxygen availability to your cells, providing additional resources that may help reverse aging. One hallmark of aging is shortening of telomeres and an accumulation of senescent cells over time; researchers have discovered that HBOT may lengthen telomeres while also decreasing senescent cell accumulation in human tissues.
Hyperbaric oxygen can also reverse aging by revitalizing damaged cells and stimulating tissue growth. For instance, researchers observing skin cells found that chronic exposure to mild hyperbaric oxygen significantly increased proliferative activity and turnover rate of the epidermis of aged mice; this increase resulted in reduced fine lines and wrinkles as well as restored skin elasticity.
Research on muscle cells also demonstrates that hyperbaric oxygen significantly slows cellular senescence, suggesting it could improve muscular function for people suffering from age-related decline. Furthermore, mild hyperbaric oxygen treatment significantly reduced atrophy and oxidative damage in unloaded rats’ soleus muscles by hyperbaric oxygen exposure.
Before your session begins, we will ask that any metal jewelry and eyeglasses be removed as these could potentially interfere with the pressurization of the hyperbaric chamber. Once in, your therapist will close and begin increasing pressure gradually over 10 minutes (just like breathing regular room air!), during which you can relax or even take a nap if desired.
Hyperbaric oxygen should only be avoided in cases of untreated pneumothorax, a condition in which air in the lungs expands under pressure to form a bubble that must be quickly treated in order to avoid tension pneumothorax, which could prove fatal if left untreated.
Increased Blood Circulation
HBOT helps tissue regenerate and heal, increasing medication efficacy while decreasing decompression sickness risk. Chronic illnesses, injuries, or injuries that prevent oxygen delivery to affected areas impede HBOT from doing its work effectively; by helping deliver sufficient oxygen directly into these high-need areas such as open wounds or crush injuries.
HBOT can do more than promote blood vessel formation: It also reduces inflammation and enhances antibiotic delivery, making it effective against chronic infections such as diabetic foot ulcers or crush injury wounds.
Hyperbaric chambers may help slow aging by stopping telomere shortening, one of the primary indicators of aging. Telomeres are located on chromosome ends and control how long chromosomes live before breaking down and killing cells off; when too short, they begin to shorten and cause cells to die; HBOT helps reverse this progression by providing more oxygen directly to our bodies’ cells and tissues, helping stop shortening of telomeres from happening altogether.
Reversing the effects of aging requires ongoing treatments and lifestyle modifications, like those provided by hyperbaric chambers. While short-term results may be achievable through this form of therapy, sustained anti-aging results can only be attained with comprehensive holistic programs like Aviv Medical Program.
Hyperbaric therapy requires patients to enter a pressurized chamber filled with medical-grade oxygen. During their session, this chamber will be managed by a trained professional who stays in constant communication with them; this is especially important if treating an injury such as ears or lungs.
HBOT is a safe and noninvasive therapy option. In fact, some have described the experience of hyperbaric therapy sessions as similar to an MRI scan; however, they differ considerably since chamber doors don’t remain closed shut during an HBOT session.
HBOT is generally considered safe for almost everyone, though it is important to be informed of any potential side effects. The most frequently reported symptom is mild vision alteration due to increased chamber pressure; other individuals have reported hearing hissing noises or feeling warm in their ears (these symptoms typically resolve quickly). A qualified healthcare provider will discuss all risks involved before starting treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Increased Collagen Production
Hyperbaric chambers produce oxygen-rich blood that can reach damaged tissue and wounds to promote healing by increasing the number of new small blood vessels that provide fresh oxygen to these areas. Furthermore, this oxygen helps kill bacteria while stimulating growth factors that speed up our bodies natural healing process.
HBOT has proven itself safe and effective treatment for various medical conditions over many decades of medical diving and military use. Particularly suitable for treating conditions that take time to heal such as diabetic foot wounds and crush injuries, HBOT can also boost effectiveness of certain medicines including antibiotics.
Hyperbaric chambers fall into two broad categories, medical grade and non-medical grade (commonly known as mild or soft chambers). Medical-grade chambers are FDA-approved and covered by insurance; their pressure can reach 3.0 Atmosphere Absolute (ATA). Soft chambers typically reach 1.5-1.7 Atmosphere Absolute.
Soft or non-medical hyperbaric chambers, otherwise known as soft hyperbaric therapy devices, are “bags” made of polyurethane or canvas material which compress room air (containing only 21% oxygen) for therapy purposes, often advertised to treat various health problems despite not meeting all requirements for hyperbaric therapy.
Before your treatment begins, you will be required to wear a gown and remove dentures and partial plates, contacts lenses and eyeglasses. Also, any items which could spark fire such as lighters or battery-powered items should not be brought into the chamber for examination; we have lockers available for this purpose.
Your session in the chamber should be relaxing; many find they can sleep, read, or watch TV comfortably inside it. A hyperbaric technician will monitor your progress while in the chamber to keep you safe and ensure a successful session.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may cause ear and sinus pressure due to fluctuating air pressure. You may need to yawn or swallow to release pressure build-up in your ears and prevent buildup of pressure in the chamber causing mild feelings of claustrophobia that cause shortness of breath in some patients.
Increased Immune System Function
Hyperbaric therapy’s extra oxygen boosts immunity by decreasing inflammation and encouraging new blood vessel formation, while helping the body absorb and use other prescribed medicines more efficiently. HBOT may even have anti-aging benefits that affect other tissues and organs such as bones and muscles – this may explain why many patients report increased energy, focus and memory after beginning their regimen of HBOT treatments.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses a special chamber or tube filled with pure oxygen that is pressurized up to 2.5 times normal air pressure, pumping in pure oxygen at pressures up to 2.5 times the ambient air pressure. It is used to treat carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness (DCS), chronic wounds that won’t heal and severe gangrene cases as well as certain infections and crush injuries that require lifesaving therapy.
HBOT treatments use HBOT to stimulate stem cell and growth factor releases to assist the body’s natural process of regeneration, increasing activity of white blood cells that kill bacteria and promote healing, as well as stimulating new capillary formation in areas with poor circulation such as diabetic feet or those affected by peripheral vascular disease. These treatments have also shown improvement in cardiovascular disease patients.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has the power to significantly decrease inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, by slowing tissue degradation caused by chronic oxidative stress and reverse aging by slowing telomere shortening (a biological marker for cell aging).
At each treatment session, you’ll relax comfortably for approximately two hours inside a chamber, reading, napping or listening to music – or all three! A therapist will be present throughout your stay in order to offer anxiety-relief techniques such as multiplace hyperbaric chambers if applicable (many Advocate locations offer multiplace chambers as an additional service) that allow several people to share. They allow therapists to adjust the air pressure within the chambers as necessary in order to accommodate for any claustrophobia issues caused by air pressure changes within chambers (multiplace hyperbaric chambers). therapists can adjust air pressure within chambers in order to accommodate for issues related to claustrophobia issues in addition to monoplace chambers used individually for individual treatments (monplace vs monoplace chambers).
