Sierra+Legg-+Hyperbaric+Oxygen+Chambers

A Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) chamber is a device that compresses the air to 3 atm of pressure and is only filled with pure oxygen. These devices have been used since the 1940's. Back then they were used to treat divers in the Navy who suffered from decompression sickness. Since then, we have found many other beneficial medical uses for the HBO treatment. One way that we use HBO today is in treating injuries of athletes. The Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Jets all have bought their very own Hyberbaric Oxygen Chamber for use of their players. If an athlete gets injured, they just send them to the chamber for a certain amount of 1 hour sessions. The player puts on a mask, so that they can breathe in the pure oxygen and the pressure and pure oxygen help the injury by reducing swelling and increasing blood flow. Thus, the HBO can make an injury that would last for weeks, only last a few days. Another way that we use the HBO today is in the medical field. HBO therapy, along with clot-dissolving drugs, is being used today as an effective treatment for patients suffering from heart attacks. The therapy helps save the heart muscle and reduce the pain of the patient sufficiently. It has been proven that on average, heart attack patients who take part in HBO therapy in addition to their other heart drugs experience over 50% less pain. Possibly the most important use of the Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber is for babies born with hyaline-membrane disease. Hyaline-membrane disease occurs in premature babies that have underdeveloped lungs. They suffer from respitory distress because the alveoli in their lungs fail to inflate properly. Sessions in the HBO have been proven to have a higher success rate in proper developement after birth. The chambers help the lungs to develop and inflate properly. Obviously, the technology of HBO chambers only bring beneficial things to us.

~Sierra

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