Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing almost pure oxygen in a special room or small chamber.
Its main use is to treat diving-related illness, but
it may enhance healing in people with various other conditions.
In 1662, a physician built the
first hyperbaric chamber — a sealed room with a series of bellows and valves.
The belief was that pressure could help treat certain respiratory diseases.
In the 1940s, HBOT became standard treatment for
military divers in the United States.
However, while there are around 1,200 HBOT
centers in the country, only two are mainly dedicated to treating diving
injuries, according to the Divers Alert Network (DAN).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have
approved HBOT as a treatment for 13 conditions, but some people are calling for
further approvals. Find out more about the benefits and risks of HBOT here.
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