A Review of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the chronic diseases the prevalence of which has been increasing globally. In the past few decades, significant improvements were made in the treatments relating to IBD which have reduced the hospitalization and mortality rates; however, there is still room for improvement with other alternative therapies. HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen treatment) is one of the effective therapies used in treating various conditions including wounds, decompression sickness, stroke, etc. Several studies have reported the role of HBOT as an adjunctive treatment to IBD, while adopting conventional treatment procedures. There is an increasing trend of research in this particular area. Studies have shown that HBOT reflects its therapeutic effect by controlling inflammation, reducing oxidation stress, improving the process of cleaning damaged cells and recruiting the cells involved in repair; thereby improving the immunity response system. In this context, the purpose of this review is to summarize past clinical and experimental studies and to understand the role of hyperbaric treatment for IBD. The findings from the review have suggested that hyperbaric therapy can be an effective adjunctive approach for IBD, based on which some ideas for future clinical and research work are provided.