Frequently Asked Questions: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

• What is Hyperbaric Oxygen/HBOT?

  Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment/Therapy is the use of greater than atmospheric pressure(the same as with SCUBA or deep sea diving) to increase the oxygen at the tissue level to encourage healing of the brain and body.

• How does it work?

  I know this will sound technical, but go with me for a moment. There is a law of physics called Henry’s Law, which states that the higher the atmospheric pressure, the more gas can be diluted into liquid. What this means is that with the greater atmospheric pressure(from the increased pressure in the chamber) more oxygen is able to get into your blood and thus more oxygen is distributed through your blood to your tissues. Also, due to the red blood cells/hemoglobin already being(or very close to it) at 100% oxygen saturation, all additional oxygen molecules are transported from the blood to the tissues. So the increased pressure literally drives the oxygen to the tissues.

• What is a treatment like?

  You will enter a hyperbaric chamber, at Oxygen and Light we have two soft side chambers. While the patient or individual is inside a technician outside pressurizes the chamber. While the chamber is pressurizing, you may feel the air begin to get heavy and/or warm. Once fully pressurized, depending on what your doctor has indicated, you may start breathing supplemental oxygen through an oxygen mask or nasal canula. When it is time to decompress, the chamber will slowly have the pressure released. This will make the air cool and can be a little loud. An attendant will be monitoring the chamber for the entirety of the treatment, if you have any questions you will have a walkie talkie to communicate with the attendant, you will also have ear protection due to the loud noise caused by decompression.

• What do I wear for an HBOT session?

  Comfortable, lose fitting clothing is best, avoiding tight and restrictive clothing.

  • We ask that you do not wear clothing that has been treated with fabric softener, perfumes, or scents of any kind.

    This is for the safety of those with compromised respiratory systems and allergies