Bed sores, also called pressure ulcers or pressure sores, attack the body when there is extended pressure on the skin. Patients who are bedridden, wheelchair bound or comatose are frequently faced with this condition. The sores show up most often in the bony areas of the body, like the ankles, heels, hips or buttocks.
When a bed sore outbreak occurs, there has been little to no oxygen to the affected area. As a result, the white blood cell count is lowered and the body is unable to fight off infections it could normally defeat. Traditionally, doctors have used antibiotics to help fight bed sores. It is one of the most trusted ways to fight infection. Thanks to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, there may be another alternative.
HBOT dissolves 20 times more oxygen in the body than the body normally does on its own. When HBOT oxygen levels reach the organs and tissues, the body can rest instead of using energy to fight infection. The increased oxygen levels do the work of healing the infection and allow the body to rest so that the patient can properly do his part for healing everything else. Combined with antibiotics, this is an effective way to diminish bed sores. It saves lives and it saves medical costs.