Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in body

The human body is very dependent on oxygen and needs it to start all metabolic processes at the cellular level. Oxygen is directly related to energy production at the cellular level, helping to create more ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy supplies the body with a high dose of oxygen, which then helps produce extra energy in all cells and tissues

In damaged tissues, this extra dose of oxygen can help provide cells with the critical extra energy needed to both repair tissue and start functioning.

The brain is in a particularly large lack of energy after various damages, and the added dose of energy can help the brain to recover much faster

Long-term benefits can occur due to the creation of more sites for the production of ATP - cellular energy, in the body. Hyperbaric oxygen chamber increases the biogenesis of mitochondria, i.e. creates more cells' energy production units.

With age, our blood vessels narrow and become stiffer, thus affecting the flow of oxygen. This results in a decrease in energy and a general slowing down of the body. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases intracellular energy production and can therefore be a valuable tool for overcoming age-related energy problems.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy greatly increases the bone marrow's ability to produce stem cells. Stem cells are primary cells that can change into any necessary cell of the body, thus healing organs and tissues, and also triggering other cell-healing factors. Stem cells find places in the body that need healing and are able to repair them.

Clinical studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygen chamber has a strong ability to stimulate neurogenesis -  the production of new brain cells, especially after brain damage or movement disorders.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also has the ability to speed up healing from injuries. In addition, it has been documented that soft tissues that have been regenerated with oxygen therapy are much stronger and less prone to tearing. This is especially important for athletes who may experience repeated injuries in the same areas.

Repeated hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions strongly activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the opposite state of stress, i.e. the body switches to a state of rest, recovery and digestion. Thus, therapy creates an environment in the body that is conducive to recovery and healing.

One of the main mechanisms of action of hyperbaric oxygen chamber is the growth of new capillary blood vessels - this improves blood circulation, which is important for healing from diseases, especially for problems such as:- chronic non-healing wounds
- brain injury
- heart attack
- diabetes
- aging (aging blood vessels often experience calcification, which restricts blood flow. The body responds by creating new blood vessels or redirecting blood flow. hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps this process)

One of the main effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a strong reduction of inflammation and related markers (TNF-alpha, Interleukin-1, etc.) in the body. Levels of these inflammatory markers are linked to a wide range of serious medical conditions, and medical industry is working hard to find drugs to bring them down.

In addition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases Interleukin-10 - a strong anti-inflammatory protein. It is clinically very important in reducing brain inflammation.

The anti-inflammatory effects of oxygen therapy can have dramatic effects on both:
- acute inflammation such as acute pancreatitis
- to chronic inflammation, which is a major factor for many disease states, for example, from cardiovascular problems to Alzheimer's disease or even cancer progression.

In acute trauma, tissue swelling occurs because the blood vessels let blood plasma through, which reaches the damaged areas and fights the damage with white blood cells. The only problem with this is that the swelling can reduce the amount of oxygen in the tissues. Hyperbaric oxygen chamber increases oxygen content, constricts blood vessels, reduces swelling and triggers a faster healing process.

Numerous studies have clearly demonstrated the pain-reducing effects of hyperbaric oxygen chamber. People around the world experience a similar strong pain-relieving effect after doing the therapy.

Most studies find that the pain-relieving effect is based on an anti-inflammatory effect. Pain related to inflammation is more and more common and many people suffer from it, so the importance of hyperbaric oxygen therapy cannot be underestimated here. However, many do not tolerate NSAIDs, or they cause risks and side effects when taken for a long time.

White blood cells are part of the immune system. They have several roles in the body, one of which is to fight infectious diseases. They do this through a process called phagocytosis, which basically means they gobble up foreign particles and then kill them. In this process, oxygen is converted into oxygen radicals, which have a killing effect. Thus, blood cells need oxygen to carry out phagocytosis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy enhances phagocytosis, helping the body fight infectious diseases.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also helps with a process called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This means that damaged cells (such as old and poorly functioning immune cells or cancer cells) are forced to "kill themselves" to make room for new cells. Studies have shown that it is an important factor in reducing inflammation and chronic wounds.

High-dose hyperbaric oxygen therapy (in high-pressure chambers) can produce large amounts of free oxygen radicals. These compounds have a direct lethal effect on pathogenic microorganisms, especially anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment).

Every cell in your body has a defense mechanism to protect its most important DNA core from damage. For this purpose, there is an endogenous, i.e. internal, antioxidant system produced by the body itself. The body produces antioxidants to cope with the daily stress that affects every cell.

In recent decades, the stress that our body has to endure has multiplied - junk food, polluted air, smoking, toxins in the environment, glyphosate and pesticides, etc. All of this begins to overwhelm our built-in antioxidant system, the cell nuclei are not as protected, and a number of lifestyle-related and ever-increasing medical conditions accompany it. Therefore, sales of antioxidant supplements are also exploding.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy quickly and strongly increases the functioning of the endogenous or internal antioxidant system. Basic antioxidants produced by the body such as glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase are rapidly increased in all tissues after oxygen therapy. It provides strong protection both to reduce current damage and to reduce damage that may occur in the future:
- current damage
Its importance of contributing to healing processes of various chronic medical conditions (e.g. cardiovascular disorders, cancer, etc.) is immense. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps reduce the damaging effects of free radicals by boosting the body's natural defense system.
- future damage
This is a very exciting and promising line of research that shows that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can reduce tissue damage that occurs from medical conditions or injuries (for example, after a heart attack, stroke, car accident, liver damage, etc.). Many animal study designs have first applied hyperbaric oxygen therapy and then induced an injury (such as a stroke) and observed what damage occurs. The results have shown that hyperbaric oxygen chamber has a protective effect and after that the consequences of the injury are significantly less. From the point of view of aging, medical conditions, and injuries, the importance of this knowledge is huge - we never know when something unexpected may happen, but with hyperbaric oxygen therapy it is possible to prevent worse consequences.