Science Behind HBOT: How Pressure & Oxygen Promote Healing

Breathing medical-grade oxygen sounds easy, but the healing effects are powerful. Get a better understanding of how it works from the best hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic in Sandy Springs.

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Lying in a hyperbaric chamber can feel a little silly or unnerving if you don’t understand how it works. But the science behind what happens inside this chamber is surprisingly powerful. In fact, science shows that oxygen levels play a big part in how well our bodies heal during illness and after injury. This explains why boosting blood oxygen levels can make such a meaningful difference in angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, and tissue regeneration.

Read on to learn more about how the best hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Sandy Springs can help give struggling areas of the body the extra support needed to repair and recover.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and What Can it Help?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing 99.7% oxygen while the chamber reaches about two to three times normal air pressure, which lets your lungs take in far more oxygen than they could during a regular breath. This increased oxygen delivery helps reach areas that are struggling to heal, such as stubborn wounds and radiation-damaged tissue.

Many people turn to hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wounds that refuse to close or tissue that is struggling to heal after radiation injury. Common conditions that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help heal include:

Many physicians recommend HBOT as part of a comprehensive care plan, not a stand-alone fix.

Hyperoxygenation: How Extra Oxygen Supercharges Healing

Hyperoxygenation happens when oxygen levels in your blood rise several-fold. This surge of oxygen reaches areas that usually struggle to get enough, allowing damaged cells to repair themselves more effectively and making it harder for infections to persist. White blood cells function better with higher levels of blood oxygen, which helps clear bacteria more effectively and reduces inflammation. Inside each cell, the mitochondria use the increased blood oxygen to make more of the energy needed to build new tissue.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Tissue Regeneration

Breathing high-oxygen levels increases collagen production, which serves as a scaffold for tissue regeneration. This helps wounds tighten at the edges, supports tendons and ligaments during recovery, and gives newly formed blood vessels the stability they need to last. Studies also suggest that HBOT may help raise the number of circulating stem cells. These stem cells can help repair damaged bone, muscle, and skin grafts.

Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Safe?

One of the most common questions we get asked is, “How safe is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?” Most people find that HBOT feels similar to the pressure changes on an airplane, with a gentle fullness in the ears as the chamber begins to pressurize. Some people notice temporary ear pressure, sinus discomfort, or brief changes in vision during their course of a session. These effects usually fade, but they can be uncomfortable, especially for someone already feeling worn down by a long healing process.

More serious risks are uncommon, yet possible. Health conditions and risk factors like heart disease, certain lung diseases, or untreated ear problems can make HBOT unsafe because the pressure changes can further strain these sensitive areas. When treatment is performed at an accredited facility with trained physicians and staff, the risk of these side effects is low.

Blood tests and thorough physical health exams are done prior to starting treatment to reduce the risk of causing additional health problems. If any medical conditions that increase the risk of side effects are found, our physicians will recommend the necessary medical care.

Finding the Best Oxygen Therapy Clinic in Sandy Springs

Patients often tell us they knew they were in the right place the moment they stepped into one of our accredited, state-of-the-art facilities in Cumming, Marietta, and Sandy Springs. We follow the rigorous safety and quality standards set by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, with a 100% safety record and a team that has been refining hyperbaric medicine for more than three decades.

Many who visit us have already tried other treatment plans and arrive feeling worn down, and they often describe a sense of relief in knowing their care is grounded in science rather than guesswork.

Ready to see how the best hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Sandy Springs can help you heal faster?

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(678) 229-2800