Looking for a way to help relieve your stress and anxiety? Life is so fast-paced these days, and stress and anxiety caused by work, relationships, and financial pressure is becoming more and more common by the day. The world creates many methods to deal with stress and anxiety, some of which are extremely beneficial, while others solve the problem but just create more. One recent development that has been shown to be effective in relieving stress and anxiety is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). But how exactly does this kind of therapy help?
In this article, we’ll discuss how undergoing HBOT therapy benefits people who struggle with stress and anxiety and what your typical HBOT session looks like.
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?
The medical treatment known as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy consists of breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised room or chamber. HOBT has proven to be an effective treatment for several conditions for decades now, including carbon monoxide poisoning, chronic wounds, and decompression sickness. However, in the last few years, studies have shown that HBOT is also great for treating mental problems like stress and anxiety. That said, more research is needed to uncover the full scope of its benefits. But, at the moment, HBOT has the potential to treat:
- Gangrene
- Radiation injuries
- Severe anaemia
- Bone or skin infections
- Skin grafts
- Burns
- Trauma from forced impact
How does it help with anxiety and stress?
The specifics of how HBOT helps reduce stress and anxiety are still being discovered. However, the evidence is clear that when people go for therapy, they come out feeling relieved. However, there are some theories about how it works though, like:
The increase of oxygen to the brain
HBOT involves breathing in extremely pure oxygen at a high pressure. This allows your body to dissolve oxygen faster, integrating it into your bloodstream so it can be transported throughout the body. The increased efficiency of the dissolving of oxygen into the bloodstream allows for it to be transported sooner, thus allowing blood to flow to necessary parts of the body faster, like the brain.
Less inflammation
When you’re stress or anxious for extended periods of time, your body can react by becoming inflamed in certain areas, which could potentially add to your stress or anxiety. HBOT allows your body to release anti-inflammatory molecules which’ll help reduce your inflammation and stress levels.
Assist in balancing your neurotransmitters
When we get stressed, over-stimulated, or anxious, generally there’s an imbalance in your brain of one or more neurotransmitters. HBOT has shown that it may be able to help balance out neurotransmitters like serotonin or dopamine, assisting you in maintaining a good mood.
Improve your cognitive abilities
This doesn’t mean that you’re suddenly going to become Einstein or anything, but some research has shown that HBOT can enhance the growth of your neurons and synapses, which would essentially improve your cognitive abilities.
What you can expect during an HBOT session
When you hear about HBOT, it sounds like some futuristic treatment done in a science lab. But it’s not as terrifying as you might think. In fact, it’s pretty amazing. Here’s what to expect when you go for treatment:
Before the session
Before your session, you’ll meet with your doctor or the healthcare professional conducting the treatment to discuss your medical history or any concerns you may have about the treatment.
You’ll enter the chamber
Once you’re finished with the administration they’ll lead you into the hyperbaric chambers. Either they’ll give you a single person chamber or one for a group session. Generally, you’ll be given a mask to wear to help you breathe in the pure oxygen.
They’ll turn up the pressure
When you’re all set and comfortable, they’ll begin turning up the pressure. Generally they’ll turn it up to about 3 times the earth’s atmospheric pressure. You might be use to this feeling if you go on flights a lot, if not, yawning or swallowing is a great way to alleviate the feeling.
Time for the treatment
You’d think that the actual treatment was already underway when they started upping the pressure, but it’s not until the pressure is set that the treatment actually starts. Generally, sessions can last anywhere between an hour and an hour and a half. While you wait, this is a good time to read a book, take a nap, or just relax.
They’ll then depressurise the chamber
To end the session, the chamber needs to be depressurised back to normal atmospheric levels. Generally, this’ll take about 10 to 15 minutes and then you’re free to go.
Risks and side effects of HBOT
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is generally considered safe for most people. However, we need to remember that we’re all different and certain treatments might cause others to react differently as a result. So, here are some of the potential side effects of going for an HBOT session:
- Discomfort
- Sinus congestion
- Temporary vision changes
- Damage to your ear due to the high-pressure
- Oxygen toxicity (very rare)
If these potential side effects make you feel a little uneasy, chat with your doctor before the session.
Final Thoughts
Although there is still a decent amount of research to be done, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is already showing promising benefits to those who undergo treatment. But, to answer the question at hand, yes, HBOT assist in reducing stress and anxiety.
Image by joakant from Pixabay
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