Is hyperbaric chamber good for asthma​

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), about 300 million people are currently affected by asthma. There are about 25 million asthma patients in the United States, of which about 6 million are children, and about 1,500 people die each year from asthma-related complications.

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease, and the prevalence of asthma is on the rise worldwide, especially in areas with a high degree of urbanization.

Asthma, or bronchial asthma, is a chronic airway inflammatory disease. Bronchial asthma needs to be detected and treated early. Autumn and winter are the peak seasons for asthma. Repeated attacks of asthma without effective treatment can easily lead to abnormal lung function and multiple lung complications.

Causes of Asthma

• Genetic factors:

Asthma is related to polygenic inheritance. The prevalence of relatives of asthma patients is higher than that of the group, and the closer the kinship, the higher the prevalence. The more serious the patient's condition, the higher the prevalence of his relatives.

• Allergens

Indoor and outdoor allergens:

Dust mites are the most common and harmful indoor allergens, and are also an important cause of asthma worldwide. Dust mites exist in secretions such as fur, saliva, urine, and feces. Fungi are also one of the allergens present in indoor air, especially in dark, humid, and poorly ventilated places. Pollen is the most common outdoor allergen that causes asthma attacks.

Occupational allergens:

Common allergens include grain powder, flour, wood, feed, tea, coffee beans, silkworms, pigeons, mushrooms, antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporin), rosin, reactive dyes, persulfates, ethylenediamine, etc.

• Drugs:

Aspirin, propranolol (propranolol), and some non-corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

• Triggering factors

Common triggering factors include air pollution, smoking, respiratory virus infection, pregnancy, strenuous exercise, and climate change. Various non-specific stimuli, such as inhalation of cold air, distilled water droplets, etc., can trigger asthma. In addition, mental and psychological factors can also trigger asthma.

Main symptoms of asthma

Asthma is related to polygenic inheritance. The prevalence of asthma in relatives of asthma patients is higher than that of the whole population, and the closer the kinship, the higher the prevalence. The more serious the patient's condition, the higher the prevalence of his relatives.

How to stay away from asthma

  Conventional treatment

According to the characteristics of the condition, it can be divided into intermittent attacks, mild, moderate, and severe conditions. The following treatments can be selected according to the condition:

Withdraw from allergens

Drug treatment such as bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs, and other drugs.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for asthma

• Enhance aerobic metabolism, increase ATP production, increase C-ATP, bronchial dilation, and avoid asthma attacks.

• Increase oxygen content, oxygen tension, and oxygen diffusion distance in tissues, improve systemic and local tissue hypoxia, and help repair damaged bronchial mucosa, eliminate congestion and edema, and relieve bronchial smooth muscle spasms.

• The high density of hyperbaric oxygen has a flushing effect on the respiratory tract.

• Reduce glandular secretion, make the respiratory tract unobstructed, and increase lung capacity.

• Restore glucocorticoid metabolic disorders to normal and relieve asthma symptoms.

• Reduce the immune activity of T lymphocytes and the content of immunoglobulins, and relieve asthma attacks.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for asthma symptom

• Patients whose condition is not well controlled by drug treatment and who cannot stop taking the drug or withdraw adrenocortical hormones can be treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

• Patients whose asthma attacks are becoming more frequent, symptoms are becoming more severe, the remission period is shortened, the dosage of antiasthmatic drugs is increased, and lung function is gradually weakened can be treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

• Severe patients have obvious hypoxia and acidosis. Patients with dehydration shock that is difficult to control can be treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

What should you pay attention to when using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to treat asthma?

• Patients with severe asthma attacks and status asthmaticus who have severe breathing difficulties, obvious chest tightness and wheezing, and who are nervous, fearful, or physically weak should not receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should not be performed during an asthma attack and should be performed after the asthma stops.

• Patients with obvious emphysema and bullae.

• Patients with severe bronchial infection, excessive secretions, or high fever should not receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Precautions for hyperbaric oxygen therapy

• Treatment timing: It is advisable to treat during the non-attack period. One to two courses of treatment before the high-incidence season each year have a certain preventive effect.

• Patients with severe bullae and severe emphysema should not receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

• Patients with severe complications of hypoxemia, acidosis, and shock who must receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be accompanied by medical staff and should continue conventional treatment in the cabin.

• Antiasthmatic drugs can be added to the oxygen nebulizer.

• The treatment of bronchial asthma should be based on medication, supplemented by hyperbaric oxygen.