The inhalation of 100% pure oxygen while lying inside a sealed chamber is highly regarded as a healthy and non-invasive treatment for many conditions. However, as with all medical treatments, there are always some risks for some patients. These risks must be considered when engaged in hyperbaric facility planning.
There will be codes and probably a license of some sort just to be able to store large quantities of pure oxygen on-site. These codes may well vary from state-to-state due to a variety of reasons. Whatever rules individual states must follow, it is due to the combustibility and explosive quality of oxygen canisters.
So far the FDA has approved this method to treat divers who suffer from decompression sickness. This is a condition that results from coming up from very deep water too quickly, and it is the only condition that the FDA has approved to be treated in such a chamber. As such, vacation areas and long-distance cruise ships where many people go deep sea diving is a popular place for just such facilities.
Possibly one of the more dangerous risks associated with it is the confidence that people put in this treatment to cure many diseases for which the FDA has not recognized it as being effective. A quick Internet search reveals claims that it can cure everything from cancer to diabetes, depression, and even autism. These claims have not yet been proven, as it is still in the research stage at this time.
Because the treatment is regarded as fairly benign, and it reportedly does improve the overall health and well-being of the patients who use it, there is always the risk that patients will neglect or completely discontinue their allopathic treatments. While the medical community does agree that even a placebo effect is good medicine if it makes the patient feel better, they also urge their patients to continue treatments such as chemotherapy or dialysis. Failure to keep these appointments, as scheduled, can have fatal results.
Too few of the regular patients are aware of the side-effects that have been attributed to this particular therapy. Probably the most disturbing side-effect is the sudden onset of seizures effecting nearly one in ten patients who undergo treatment. Naturally, this therapy is never recommended for a patient who suffers from a seizure condition to begin with, and other patients are now being told that, after ninety minutes in the chamber, they must spend at least ten minutes outside it breathing room air.
A temporary decrease in visual acuity, known as myopia, can develop as a result of this treatment. So far this appears to be only temporary, but it can create a real problem for patients. It takes a period of time for this myopia to return to normal, and such side-effects are the reason doctors will recommend only limited amounts of time within the chamber.
An even more serious side-effect is the potential for permanent damage to the inner ear of patients who spend long spans of time in the chamber on a regular basis. This vertigo can cause any patient to fall, but especially those who are over the age of 65 or have terminal illness. Currently there is no system in place to track the hours of chamber-time a patient receives from various facilities, and there are no laws restricting it either.
There will be codes and probably a license of some sort just to be able to store large quantities of pure oxygen on-site. These codes may well vary from state-to-state due to a variety of reasons. Whatever rules individual states must follow, it is due to the combustibility and explosive quality of oxygen canisters.
So far the FDA has approved this method to treat divers who suffer from decompression sickness. This is a condition that results from coming up from very deep water too quickly, and it is the only condition that the FDA has approved to be treated in such a chamber. As such, vacation areas and long-distance cruise ships where many people go deep sea diving is a popular place for just such facilities.
Possibly one of the more dangerous risks associated with it is the confidence that people put in this treatment to cure many diseases for which the FDA has not recognized it as being effective. A quick Internet search reveals claims that it can cure everything from cancer to diabetes, depression, and even autism. These claims have not yet been proven, as it is still in the research stage at this time.
Because the treatment is regarded as fairly benign, and it reportedly does improve the overall health and well-being of the patients who use it, there is always the risk that patients will neglect or completely discontinue their allopathic treatments. While the medical community does agree that even a placebo effect is good medicine if it makes the patient feel better, they also urge their patients to continue treatments such as chemotherapy or dialysis. Failure to keep these appointments, as scheduled, can have fatal results.
Too few of the regular patients are aware of the side-effects that have been attributed to this particular therapy. Probably the most disturbing side-effect is the sudden onset of seizures effecting nearly one in ten patients who undergo treatment. Naturally, this therapy is never recommended for a patient who suffers from a seizure condition to begin with, and other patients are now being told that, after ninety minutes in the chamber, they must spend at least ten minutes outside it breathing room air.
A temporary decrease in visual acuity, known as myopia, can develop as a result of this treatment. So far this appears to be only temporary, but it can create a real problem for patients. It takes a period of time for this myopia to return to normal, and such side-effects are the reason doctors will recommend only limited amounts of time within the chamber.
An even more serious side-effect is the potential for permanent damage to the inner ear of patients who spend long spans of time in the chamber on a regular basis. This vertigo can cause any patient to fall, but especially those who are over the age of 65 or have terminal illness. Currently there is no system in place to track the hours of chamber-time a patient receives from various facilities, and there are no laws restricting it either.
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