The air pressure inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber is about two and a half times higher than
the normal pressure in the atmosphere. This helps your blood carry more oxygen to organs and
tissues in your body. Hyperbaric therapy can help wounds, especially infected wounds,
heal more quickly. The therapy may be used to treat:
Air or gas embolism
Bone infections (osteomyelitis) that have not improved with other treatments
Burns
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Certain types of brain or sinus infections
Decompression sickness (for example, a diving injury)
Gas gangrene
Necrotizing soft tissue infections
Radiation injury (for example, damage from radiation therapy for cancer)
Skin grafts
Wounds that have not healed with other treatments (for example, it may be used to treat a foot
ulcer in someone with diabetes or very bad circulation).This treatment may also be used to
provide enough oxygen to the lung during a procedure called whole lung lavage,
which is used to clean an entire lung in people with certain medical conditions.