Side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a therapeutic device that can treat a variety of respiratory diseases. However, although this type of equipment can solve many problems that people have very well, it still has certain side effects for some people with special physical conditions or people with poor resistance, such as ear barotrauma, sinus barotrauma, finger numbness, lung barotrauma, etc. Below are some side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

1. Ear barotrauma

The most common complication of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The middle ear is a cavity called the tympanic cavity, the outer side of which is separated from the external auditory canal by the tympanic membrane, and the other end is opened through the Eustachian tube behind the nasal isthmus. During the process of increasing pressure in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the external pressure increases. If the Eustachian tube is blocked due to various reasons (upper respiratory tract infection, rhinitis, nasopharyngeal polyps, poor coordination of pressure regulation, etc.), the external gas cannot enter the tympanic cavity through the Eustachian tube, causing the pressure in the tympanic cavity to be lower than that in the outside world. The mucosa in the tympanic cavity will undergo changes such as congestion, edema, and exudation, causing ear barotrauma. The patient will feel obvious ear pain, which will continue to worsen with the increase in pressure.

Prevention method: Patients with upper respiratory tract infection, rhinitis, and sinusitis should not enter the cabin. During the cabin pressure increase and decompression process, pay attention to swallowing.

2. Sinus barotrauma

Any obstruction of the sinus opening, such as tissue hyperplasia, edema, mucus, etc., can cause sinus pressure injury. The main symptoms are headache, maxillary sinus pressure pain in the cheek;

Frontal sinus pain is felt in the forehead; ethmoid sinus pain is felt at the base of the nose; sphenoid sinus pain is felt in the occipital region and behind the eyes. Examination may reveal secretions or bloody discharge in the nasal cavity. Prevention methods are similar to those for ear barotrauma.

3. Numbness in fingers

Some patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy will experience numbness in the ulnar side of the fingers. The mechanism is unclear. The sensation disappears 4-6 weeks after stopping treatment, and most patients have no permanent residual symptoms.

4. Pulmonary barotrauma

Very rarely, pulmonary barotrauma occurs in divers, caisson workers, and patients undergoing high-pressure or hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Inappropriate breath-holding, coughing, vomiting, or convulsions (grand mal seizures, cerebral oxygen poisoning) during decompression may cause the vocal cords to close, resulting in pressure in the trachea and lungs greater than the external pressure. Due to the poor pressure-bearing capacity of the lung tissue, when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the lungs is greater than 80 mmHg, the lung tissue will over-expand, causing tearing of the alveolar walls, blood vessels, and interstitium, resulting in pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema, and subcutaneous emphysema, which manifest as sudden chest pain that worsens when breathing, persistent coughing, shortness of breath, cyanosis, and shortness of breath, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. Therefore, patients with chronic lung diseases, such as bullae and pneumothorax, should not enter the cabin. Patients receiving treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber should not hold their breath for long periods of time during the decompression process.