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What is The Role of HBOT in Diabetic Foot Wound Healing?

Author: Pranali Ahuja
by Pranali Ahuja
Posted: Mar 04, 2021

The process of healing a wound is a complex one. Whenever a person gets a wound, it gets in contact with environmental gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These gases may hinder the process of healing by reacting with the wound and creating a poisonous substance. At that time, if patients are given oxygen in a larger amount, then it may enable faster healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy does exactly that to patients.

Hyperbaric Oxygen TherapyHyperbaric oxygen therapy has been around since the 1930s. It has been performed in multiple settings and many ailments. There has been extensive research performed on this therapy and it has been improved over the years.

During this therapy, oxygen is provided at increased pressure, which allows the blood to carry oxygen to various organs effectively. Oxygen presence is extremely important for cell building which is an important part of tissue healing. So saturated levels of oxygen help the building of cells in the most effective of ways.

The procedure of HBOT TherapyHyperbaric therapy is provided in a closed room that has a structure of a small airplane. Even though it is small in size, it can contain up to 8 to 10 patients at a time. The room oxygen is pressurized, the patients are given designated spaces to sit and a hood is placed on their head. The suite provides a 100% saturation of oxygen. Some places may have spaces built for a single patient.

Diabetes and foot ulcersIn patients with diabetes, foot ulcers are very common. This wound is located in approximately 15% of patients. Diabetes makes it difficult to heal the wound naturally. At times, there might be less sensitivity in that area, which may lead to the formation of the wound. The external insulin instigates this. If medical help is taken from a podiatrist, the wound can be healed without it creating infections. But in half the cases, the infections go on increasing. In a few numbers of cases, it is also possible that the wound is so infected that it needs to remove a toe completely.

Diabetes and wound careWhen you visit a wound care specialist after having a foot ulcer due to diabetes, there are various directions in which efforts are made. The first and foremost thing in this becomes the prevention of infection in your body. Depending on the level of insulin and blood glucose in your body, antibiotics and other types of medications may be prescribed for you. After this, the process of offloading is followed. It reduces the pressure on the affected area. Especially for foot care, castings are used to take the load off the feet and the affected area.

How does HBOT therapy help in wound healing?HBOT creates a saturation of oxygen in your body leading to cell building at a faster rate. This creates tissue building effectively without it being broken because of blood sugar levels and insulin. In natural wound healing, the blood plasma may not able to carry the required amount of blood for the tissues to keep building. But because of the pressurized oxygen effect of insulin and blood sugar levels, it does not affect the tissue much which leads to effective healing.

It has been scientifically proven through various clinical trials that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is useful in the healing of diabetic foot. Researchers have observed significant improvement in cases of foot ulcers that were given HBOT therapy by a wound care specialist. But apart from that, there have also been several clinical trials wherein the significant improvement in wound healing is observed consistently and for a long time. Various studies have been conducted in understanding the role of oxygen in wound healing and promoting the therapy in a better way but nothing comes closer than a diabetic foot. It explains the effect of oxygen in foot wound healing in the best way.

According to some researchers, wound healing at one time is a positive thing to look forward to. But to move a type of therapy from a clinical trial to a standardized treatment, there has to be evidence of this treatment being effective for a consistent period and a significant number of people. So efforts are being made in that direction.

To know more advantages of HBOT therapy in diabetes, visit Hyperheal.

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Author: Pranali Ahuja

Pranali Ahuja

Member since: May 11, 2020
Published articles: 1

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