Diabetic wounds do occur on the knees and legs, but they’re most frequently found on the feet in the form of diabetic foot ulcers. Many diabetic foot ulcers develop under the big toe and along the balls of the feet. The earlier you can identify your diabetic foot ulcer and receive treatment, the better your chances of preventing severe complications.

The lives of many cancer patients have been saved by radiation treatment, but tumor-killing radiation can also damage healthy tissue. When blood vessels are damaged, restricted blood flow can lead to wounds in soft tissue and bone. These injuries can occur months or even years after the radiation treatments were completed.

These extremely serious bacterial infections develop rapidly and cause the affected tissue (skin, underlying tissues, and muscles) to die (necrosis). A necrotizing infection begins when bacteria enter the body, usually through a minor break in the skin. As the bacteria multiply, they produce toxins that kill tissue and degrade blood flow to the area. The bacteria can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, a life-threatening development.

Difficult-to-heal skin ulcers in the extremities can be caused by faulty valves in veins that increase the pressure in the veins. The pooling of blood and high venous pressure causes a breakdown of the venous wall and leakage. The resulting inflammatory response leads to the eventual degradation of surrounding tissue and skin.

Hikers, skiers, and adventurers who travel to high altitudes can sometimes develop acute mountain sickness. It typically occurs at about 8,000 feet, or 2,400 meters, above sea level. Dizziness, nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath are a few symptoms of this condition. Most instances of altitude sickness are mild and heal quickly. In rare cases, altitude sickness can become severe and cause complications with the lungs or brain. Acute mountain sickness is treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

Surgical incisions can open up after surgery due to infection, poor tissue structure, compromised circulation, or stress on the wound. Wounds that have been closed with skin grafts or skin flaps may fail to heal for similar reasons. Open wounds are susceptible to serious infections, especially when the wound is near the bone, which can lead to bone infection (osteomyelitis).

In a rare and dangerous condition, an air or gas embolism is an air bubble that has entered a vein or artery that can travel to the brain, heart, or lungs and cause a stroke, heart failure, or respiratory failure. Air can enter a vein accidentally during certain medical procedures, from trauma to the lung or during scuba diving. Small embolisms can dissipate naturally without causing serious problems, but a large air/gas embolism can be fatal unless treated quickly with Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

A severe physical injury caused by a crushing weight, severe blow, gunshot, car accident or industrial accident can result in “traumatic ischemia” or restricted blood supply to tissues and organs. This can lead to tissue death and severe infection.

Decompression sickness--or the "bends" is a condition brought on when a diver surfaces too quickly and does not allow the gases in the body to expand at a safe rate. Dissolved gases form bubbles inside the body, which can lead to serious complications such as gas embolism. Decompression sickness is treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

Most gangrene infections occur when bacteria enter a surgical incision or a wound caused by injury. Non-traumatic gas gangrene, which is rare, develops when blood flow to tissues is compromised and bacteria gets inside. People with peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), or diabetes are more vulnerable to gangrene.

Carbon monoxide (CO2) poisoning occurs when too much CO2 builds up in the air and is inhaled. This common gas--found in the fumes produced from cars, trucks, stoves, grills, furnaces, and fireplaces--is nearly impossible to avoid. When carbon monoxide poisoning occurs, hemoglobin becomes saturated with CO molecules, rejects oxygen from entering, and ultimately causes the body to become starved of oxygen. Carbon monoxide has a powerful impact on the body and ongoing therapy may be needed to overcome damage and regenerate the body’s innate healing capabilities.

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. It is rare but very serious. It occurs when infection elsewhere in the body spreads through the bloodstream into the bone. An open fracture or hip/knee surgery may expose the bone to infection. Diabetes and a compromised immune system can increase the risk of osteomyelitis.

Severe anemia is caused by an immense loss of blood, which reduces the amount of iron in the body. This lack of iron makes the bone marrow unable to increase the production of new blood cells to replace the lost ones. The deficiency of red blood cells reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, which starves the tissues and organs of oxygen.