(Newswire.net — July 30, 2022) — Thermal burns are common with millions injured every year. Burns are tissue damage that can result from multiple factors ranging from heat to chemical contact. The result can be minor blisters or life-threatening emergencies.
Burn injuries are not minor scars but have a lot of behind the scene damage. Therefore burn victims should be managed with special care.
There are countless interventions available for burn injuries ranging from home remedies for minor burns to grafting for major wounds. But holistic therapies are not readily available. HBOT is now being used as a complementary therapy for burn victims.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy not only addresses pathophysiological damage associated with burns but manages the victim as a whole. HBOT in burn management can cope with all issues including tissue hypoxia at the burn site, inflammation, and other damage.
But let’s first see what these burns do to our skin and tissues;
Burn injury is a whole process, it does just damage the area in contact but the surrounding tissues are also affected. Blood vessels and sometimes even nerves also sustain harm. Blood circulation is ceased, and nutritional supply along with oxygen to the site is greatly reduced.
This hypoxia results in tissue death. Our body perceives this dead mass as a potential threat and signals our immune system to send fighter cells to destroy it. This ultimately results in more tissue death and the process goes on.
Burn levels
Burn wounds are categorized into multiple levels determined by the damage to the injury site. These levels are known as burn degrees with the first being minor to the most severe fourth-degree burn. Each degree has a set of distinguishing features.
- First-degree burns are superficial and the skin appears red with no blisters.
- Second-degree burns involve the epidermis and some parts of the dermis layer. Skin appears red with blisters and may have some skin thickening.
- Third-degree burns involve all of the dermis with skin appearance as white or leathery.
- Fourth-degree burn being the most severe one destroys all of the skin and extends into tendons and bones.
How does HBO help in healing Burns?
When it comes to healing burns there is nothing HBOT can’t help you with.
Initial Recovery:
Tissue hypoxia of the surrounding area is the major concern after the initial injury. HBOT given during the acute stage increases oxygen saturation of the body. This helps to overcome the oxygen cessation in tissues, greatly reducing the possibility of further tissue death. This way damaged tissue is no longer seen as a threat and normal wound healing is initiated.
HBOT therapy in the long run promotes the regrowth of blood vessels and new tissue.
Quick Healing:
Almost every step in wound healing requires oxygen. Oxyhelphyperbaric oxygen chambers provides 95% pure oxygen that reduces the healing time and improves outcomes.
Reduce Swelling:
After an initial injury, a large number of fighter cells are sent to the injury site to host defense. But over activation of these cells can cause an inflammatory reaction. Pure oxygen from HBOT can help control the number of these fightercells. This ultimately reduces swelling at the wound site which otherwise would slow down the healing process.
Infection Prevention:
The oxygen high environment of HBOT increases the availability of white blood cells to fight off infection and promotes wound closures.
Scar Reduction:
Scar reduction requires collagen synthesis. And collagen production itself depends on the availability of oxygen. HBOTprovides an excellent environment for collagen deposition which in turn helps in lesser scarring.
Pain Management:
Another benefit of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is pain management. It helps you reduce dependency on pain medication by boosting the oxygen level in your pain site which offers relief by repairing the nerve damage.
Mental Health:
Mental trauma after such events puts great stress on the brain. HBOT not only helps with wound healing but helps overall well-being. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is known to be used for general relaxation.
In short, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is quite helpful for any burn victim as it addresses all of their concerns from prevention of ischemia-reperfusion injury to scar reduction.
What kind of burn injuries are managed with HBOT?
Burns can have a variety of causes, and each requires a specific protocol. For example, minor candle burns can be managed with OTC ointments but chemical and electrical burns warrant immediate medical attention as they have the potential to cause internal damage to the body. Fortunately, Oxyhealth Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can provide outstanding results for almost every one of them including:
- Electrical burns
- Scalding from any hot or boiling liquids
- Chemical burns
- Fires, including minor flames from candles, and lighters to exposure to a massive fire
- Excessive exposure to the sun
- Radiation burns
HBOT for Carbon monoxide poisoning:
Another worth mentioning benefit of this therapy regarding fire is its effect on carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by breathing in carbon monoxide at high levels. The symptoms of CO poisoning can be minor such as headache, and dizziness, or can be fatal as arrhythmias, and seizures.
Fires are the most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended for individuals with acute carbon monoxide poisoning, especially if they have lost consciousness.
Advantages of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for CO poisoning include,
- Increased oxygenation of the blood
- Quick and safe elimination of carbon monoxide from the body
- Protect organ tissue from susceptible injury caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may also be recommended for babies as of its ease.
To sum this all up Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an excellent accelerator for burn healing and can be beneficial for every case. It can help you from the initial healing phase to scar reduction and more.