Questions and answers

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers extra oxygen into the body by raising the pressure around you. That pressure is measured in atmospheres absolute, or ATA. Day to day, we all live at about 1.0 ATA.

In a hyperbaric session the pressure goes above 1.0 ATA. Hospital and wound care chambers can reach 2.0 or even 3.0 ATA. Each atmosphere equals 33 feet of seawater, so 2.0 ATA is like being 33 feet below sea level.

At those pressures, 100% oxygen is usually given for the whole session, normally 60 to 90 minutes, and it can be repeated twice a day with a 4 hour break in between. For chronic or hard-to-heal wounds, it is usually repeated daily for anywhere from 10 to 80 hours.

Our sessions are mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, at about 1.3 ATA.

The FDA approves hyperbaric treatment for only 14 medical conditions and for altitude sickness.

The medical conditions are decompression sickness, gas embolism, carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning, gas gangrene, selected aerobic and anaerobic soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, intracranial abscess, fungal disease, radiation injury to tissue, exceptional blood loss or anemia, crush injury and compartment syndrome, ischemia reperfusion injuries, skin grafts and flaps, selected problem wounds, thermal burns, and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Treatment pressures for most of these range from 2.0 to 2.5 ATA.

Altitude sickness is treated at 1.3 ATA, also known as mild hyperbaric therapy or mild HBOT. Mild HBOT is an FDA cleared treatment for altitude sickness, where oxygen levels can get dangerously low at higher elevations.

Doctors also prescribe it off-label. Many doctors and researchers in hyperbaric medicine believe it may help many more conditions and improve quality of life. Using it for a condition outside the approved list is off-label, and the FDA asks that you look into all FDA-approved treatments first and fully understand the benefit to risk ratio before you decide. Off-label pressures usually range from 1.3 to 2.4 ATA.

It is also used for general health and wellness, usually at 1.3 to 2.0 ATA, for the support that extra oxygen gives the body. Not everyone is fit to be in a pressurized environment, so a healthcare provider should screen you for hyperbaric fitness before you start sessions for wellness.

The FDA cautions against using hyperbaric therapy, including mild HBOT, for anything other than the 14 approved conditions and altitude sickness. Lower pressures have been reported to have real benefits, which clinical research is now starting to support. If you are looking at hyperbaric therapy to help with a medical condition, please follow the FDA guidelines and look at medically approved options first.

Lower pressures of 1.3 to 1.5 ATA can deliver higher levels of oxygen while allowing for greater safety. It doesn't take much pressure. The added pressure lets extra oxygen pass from the lungs into the blood, raising blood oxygen levels. That oxygen-rich blood reaches tissue, where it can support repair and regeneration and have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects.

For a focused area, low pressure can be combined with low level light therapy (LLLT) at wavelengths between 650 and 880 nm, using flexible light pads placed over the area. This is called targeted hyperbaric therapy, or t-HBT. Each therapy has shown positive effects on its own, and the combination has recently been reported to work much better. It is still being researched.

Traditionally, hyperbaric oxygen means breathing 100% oxygen under pressure. But regular air still contains 21% oxygen, and when you breathe it under pressure, more of that oxygen moves into the body.

The extra oxygen enters the blood plasma and reaches deeper areas, such as places where inflammation slows blood flow and places red blood cells can't normally reach. It's a way to get higher oxygen levels without the risks of a high-oxygen environment.

The benefits people report have usually come from one or two sessions a day, with 4 hours between the start of each session for those who do two. If you live nearby, you might choose one session a day.

Leading supporters of hyperbaric therapy recommend at least 20 sessions to start, and preferably up to 40. After 40 sessions, you can look at whether you've noticed a difference before going on.

For a specific area of concern, sessions can be combined with near infrared light therapy, which has been reported to give noticeable benefits even once or twice a week.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a simple, non-invasive procedure with an excellent safety record. Serious reactions are very rare and generally aren't seen at lower pressures.

The one absolute contraindication is an untreated pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Anyone with one needs a chest tube put in and to be checked by a medical practitioner before going into a chamber.

The most common side effects are ear or sinus discomfort, which about 10% of people feel while the chamber fills, and claustrophobia. Taking extra time and pausing along the way helps with ears, and we do that for everyone.

Other areas of concern, where you should talk to us or your doctor first:

Severe lung or heart disease, because fluid could build up in the lungs.

Uncontrolled diabetes, because blood sugar could drop too low alongside diabetes medication.

A history of seizures or an uncontrolled fever, because seizure activity could get worse, especially if blood sugar is low.

Changes in vision. Rarely, a temporary change in vision has been linked to higher pressures over a long course of sessions. If you notice any change, tell the attendant. Vision usually goes back to normal within 3 months of stopping, so it's best not to change a glasses prescription during that time.

Cataracts. Hyperbaric therapy can't cause cataracts, but it may make existing ones mature more quickly.

Pregnancy. As a precaution, hyperbaric therapy isn't used during pregnancy unless it's for an acute life-threatening condition.

A current upper respiratory infection, chronic sinusitis or other sinus problems. These make trouble during pressurizing more likely, so it's best to have them treated first.

Claustrophobia. See "What if I feel closed in?" below.

You choose 60 or 90 minutes in the chamber. At the start it takes about 5 minutes to fill and reach pressure. At the end it takes about 5 minutes to come back down before you climb out.

Hyperbaric sessions in general can run anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes. Sessions over 60 minutes at pressures above 2.0 ATA may include 5 minute air breaks for safety. At a mild pressure like ours, filling and coming down take about 5 minutes each way. Higher pressure sessions can take up to 25.

Most of the session is quiet rest. As the chamber fills, air presses on your eardrums and your ears feel full, a bit like a plane coming in to land. Most people (about 90%) adjust easily. About 10% feel some discomfort or pain in the ears or sinuses, like landing with a stuffy head.

To clear your ears, swallow, yawn or sip water. Turn your head to one side and swallow, then to the other side and swallow. Repeat if you need to.

You can also try the Valsalva maneuver: pinch your nose closed, close your mouth, lift the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and blow gently against your pinched nose, short and sharp but not too hard. Or combine the two: swallow and wiggle your jaw while blowing gently against your pinched nose.

If your ears have given you trouble when flying or in the mountains, you may want to use a nasal decongestant before your first few sessions. For young children, tilt their head back and put one drop of pediatric nose drops in each nostril an hour and a half to two hours before the session. Wait 5 to 10 minutes, then put a second drop in each nostril. Afrin or a similar nasal spray can be used 20 to 30 minutes after the nose drops. Don't repeat the nasal spray.

Tell the attendant right away. They can slow the pressure down or pause until your ears clear. There's no need to push through it.

On a plane, you can't tell the pilot to stop climbing or descending. In the chamber you can. Tell the attendant to slow down or stop, and don't let it get painful.

Because a chamber is a closed space, some people feel claustrophobic. It's not like being in an MRI machine: you can move around freely. Once your body settles in, most people feel comfortable and in control.

If it's a worry for you, tell us before your session. We'll keep talking with you, relaxation techniques help, and mild sedation is an option if needed.

A little. The air warms up as the chamber fills, then cools again as it comes back down. Ventilation keeps the air moving when it's warm, and blankets are on hand if you get chilly.

Smoke and other smells on your clothes get much stronger inside a closed chamber, so please skip strong perfume and scented deodorant on the day of your session.

If you smoke, try not to for 1 hour before and after your session, since smoking works against the effect of the session.

Please arrive on time and ready for your session. Appointments run back to back, so if you're late, your session is shorter. It still ends at the time you booked.

We'd like to start every session on time for all our clients, and a late arrival delays the people after you.

Your part is simple: show up on time, talk with our staff each visit, and tell us about any change in your health. For example, you may have told us at your first visit that you weren't pregnant. On later visits, tell us if you might be.

Please tell us every time you go into the chamber if your health, a medical condition, or your medications or supplements have changed; if you have a cold, flu symptoms, sinus or nasal congestion, or chest congestion; if you might be pregnant; if you skipped a meal before your session; or if you're diabetic and didn't take your insulin before your session.

Yes. Packages expire one year from the day you buy them, so use your sessions any time within that year. If you're not sure how many you have left, give us a call.

Yes. Affirm is offered at checkout on Vagaro, so you can split the cost into payments. Affirm shows you its terms before you agree to anything.

Give us at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or move a hyperbaric session. With less notice, or if you miss it, one session comes off your package. Without a package, there's a $50 late cancellation fee.

The full cancellation policy has the details.

Book online on Vagaro at any time. Pick your session, then a time that suits you. You can also call (435) 634-9355 during opening hours.

Every chamber we sell is listed with its price on our Vagaro products page, and you can buy it there. If you'd like to talk through which one fits your space, call us first.

Yes. Affirm is offered at checkout on Vagaro, so you can pay for a chamber over time. You see Affirm's terms before you agree.

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Yes. Book a mild hyperbaric session at the clinic to see how it feels. You can also rent a chamber for home, and lease to own is an option too.