Improve Vision Acuity with Oxygen-Rich HBOT
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) results when the central portion of the retina deteriorates, leading to wavy or blurred vision and even blindness in the eye disease’s late stages.
The retina is the black inner layer of the eye ball that records what we see and transmits these images via the optic nerve to the brain, which interprets them as sight. The macula is the retina’s central portion. Its job is to focus central vision in the eye. A healthy macula permits us to read, drive, recognize colors and faces, and see fine details.
As many as 11 million people in the U.S. have macular degeneration, which causes vision loss more often than glaucoma and cataracts combined. By 2050, as the baby boomer generation ages, that number is expected to double. Those suffering from AMD live with uncertainty, as well as a decreased quality of life.
Currently macular degeneration has no known cure, though treatments can slow the disease’s progression and can sometimes improve vision quality. For those who suffer from macular degeneration’s devastating effects, this can really be life changing.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for macular degeneration involves administering pure oxygen at higher than normal air pressures in an enclosed chamber. Because lack of oxygen partially contributes to the macula’s decline, HBOT’s oxygen-rich environment can promote healing and regeneration of cells.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also mobilizes stem cells, which can transform into a wide range of cell types. HBOT has shown promising results in patients suffering from macular degeneration. For example, in one small study, South Florida researcher Jeffrey Weiss treated 14 patients that had advanced AMD at two different atmospheric pressures. Each of them experienced increased visual acuity after hyperbaric oxygen therapy and said their daily lives had improved. In another small study, three subjects with macular degeneration experienced a doubling of their visual acuity, and a fourth subject’s visual acuity almost quadrupled.