Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a specialized therapy that allows the body to incorporate more oxygen into blood cells, blood plasma, cerebral-spinal fluid and other bodily tissue. By raising the atmospheric pressure above one atmosphere (sea level), more oxygen molecules are compressed into the body.

At sea level, the atmospheric pressure is 1 (14.7 psi or pounds per square inch), which allows the lungs to absorb a normal amount of oxygen from the air. At higher altitudes, the pressure drops and the lungs are not able to absorb as much oxygen. This is why oxygen masks drop in an airplane at high altitudes - to increase the oxygen content due to the lack of pressure. The exact opposite happens at lower altitudes (below sea level). There, the pressure is greater (above 1ATA) and now the lungs can more easily absorb the oxygen, and at a greater volume.

There are two types of HBOT chambers:

• Hard chambers with 100% oxygen
• Soft chambers with "concentrated" oxygen

More practitioners are looking to recommend mild hyperbarics at 1.3 to 1.5 atmospheres. Hard chamber providers can provide this low level hyperbaric treatment with 100% oxygen.

Typically, the hard chambers providing 100% oxygen DO NOT ALLOW electronics of any kind in their units for safety reasons. Some providers have wired their units for music or watching videos through portholes.

Many of the soft chambers have been approved for home use and do not use 100% oxygen. These chambers typical use what is defined as an oxygen concentrator. These concentrators filter the air in the room and provide a higher level of oxygenation to the air in the chamber. The concentration of the air in the chamber with an oxygen concentrator has been debated to be somewhere between 40-80%. The air we breathe is about 15-20% oxygen.

The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for autism is becoming more popular. There are many testimonies online from families who have used HBOT for their child with autism with varied results.