[ezcol_1half]

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]

Discover the Power of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

At BetterHealth OC, we are dedicated to helping you achieve optimal health and wellness through cutting-edge therapies. One such innovative treatment is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), which has gained recognition for its remarkable healing properties. Whether you’re looking to accelerate recovery, enhance your performance, or promote overall health, HBOT can be an essential part of your wellness journey.

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. This therapy is performed in a specially designed chamber where the air pressure is increased to a level higher than normal atmospheric pressure. Under these conditions, your body can absorb more oxygen than it would at regular pressure, allowing your cells to heal and regenerate faster.
HBOT has been used for decades to treat a variety of medical conditions, but it is also gaining popularity as a holistic approach to enhance overall wellness and vitality. At BetterHealth OC, we offer a state-of-the-art hyperbaric chamber that provides a safe and comfortable environment for your treatment.

Request An Appointment

[/ezcol_1half_end]

Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

HBOT offers a wide range of therapeutic benefits for both medical conditions and overall wellness. Some of the key benefits include:

  • Accelerated Healing & Recovery: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy promotes faster recovery from injuries, surgeries, and trauma by stimulating the body’s natural healing processes and improving tissue oxygenation.
  • Enhanced Athletic Performance: Athletes use HBOT to improve endurance, reduce recovery time, and decrease muscle fatigue by increasing oxygen delivery to muscles and tissues.
  • Improved Brain Health & Cognitive Function: The increased oxygen supply to the brain can improve mental clarity, cognitive performance, and focus. It may also support recovery from brain injuries, strokes, or cognitive decline.
  • Anti-Aging and Skin Health: HBOT helps stimulate collagen production and promotes skin rejuvenation, which can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and scars. It also supports overall skin health by boosting oxygen levels.
  • Immune System Support: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy enhances the body’s immune response, helping to fight infections, reduce inflammation, and support overall wellness.
  • Chronic Pain Relief: For individuals dealing with chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia or arthritis, HBOT can help reduce pain and inflammation, promoting a better quality of life.
  • Detoxification: Increased oxygen in the body assists in flushing out toxins, improving overall detoxification processes and contributing to better health.

Understanding Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

HBOT involves lying in a chamber with significantly higher air pressure than normal. This environment allows your lungs to gather more oxygen than they can under regular atmospheric conditions. Therapy may last as little as sixty minutes or as long as two hours.

Absolute Contraindication for HBOT

A contraindication is a situation or condition that deems it unsafe to deliver a particular treatment, procedure, or medication to a person. Essentially, it’s a reason to avoid a specific therapy that may cause more harm than good.

Untreated pneumothorax is the only absolute contraindication for HBOT. This condition is when air becomes trapped between the lung and chest wall, causing lung collapse. HBOT is completely off-limits if you have pneumothorax unless you treat it beforehand.

Relative Contraindications

Consider these other contraindications for HBOT: Our hyperbaric specialist will discuss your medical history with your primary care physician or specialists prior to treating you to determine if HBOT is appropriate for you.

  • Severe respiratory disease: People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), severe asthma, or a history of pneumonitis may experience complications with HBOT. The high pressure in the chamber can aggravate these conditions, leading to serious health risks.
  • Uncontrolled high fever: It’s generally advised to avoid HBOT if you have a fever above 102 degrees F. High fever can lower the threshold for seizures, and the high-oxygen environment of HBOT may elevate this risk.
  • Claustrophobia: The enclosed space of a hyperbaric chamber can be distressing for people with a fear of tight places. Consider the severity of your claustrophobia and whether you can manage it during treatment. Our hyperbaric chambers are the largest, clear acrylic chambers made to reduce confinement anxiety.
  • Certain eye and ear disorders: Conditions like Eustachian tube dysfunction or a history of particular ear and eye surgeries make you more susceptible to barotrauma, or injury caused by pressure changes. Some patients may need to see a ENT for ear tubes to avoid any issues.
  • Chemotherapy: Certain chemotherapy drugs, including doxorubicin and bleomycin, can interact adversely with HBOT.
  • Pregnancy: While traditionally viewed as a contraindication, HBOT can be beneficial in certain scenarios, such as carbon monoxide poisoning during pregnancy.
  • Insulin-dependent diabetes: HBOT is an effective treatment for diabetic wounds, but it presents a risk of therapy-induced hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Point-of-care glucose monitoring is required to safely perform HBOT on diabetic patients.

Complications of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

You breathe pure oxygen inside a highly pressurized chamber during hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Often, pressure is between 1.5 and 3 times greater than normal air pressure.

This therapy was used by undersea medicine specialists to treat deep-sea divers who got decompression sickness. This is also called “the bends.” It’s now used to treat many conditions from severe burns to some types of wounds, and carbon monoxide poisoning. But like all medical procedures, it has some risks.

Side effects and possible complications of HBOT

During HBOT, you lie or sit in an enclosed chamber. The pressure inside the chamber is slowly increased while you breathe oxygen. The therapy may last as little as 3 minutes or as long as 2 hours. Then the pressure is returned back to normal. Because the pressure is so high, some people may have discomfort while in the chamber. It’s common to have ear pain. Or a popping feeling in your ears.

You may need to take short breaks during the therapy and breathe normal air. This can prevent tissues in the body from taking in too much oxygen.

The oxygen dose given during the treatment is specific for each person. Your healthcare provider will consider any health problems you have. Your overall health and your age will also be considered. This helps reduce the risk for side effects and complications.

Possible symptoms or side effects after HBOT can include fatigue and lightheadedness. More severe problems can include:

  • Lung damage, including collapse of the lung
  • Fluid buildup or bursting (rupture) of the middle ear
  • Sinus damage
  • Changes in vision, causing nearsightedness, which usually goes away days to weeks after the last treatment
  • Oxygen poisoning, which can cause lung failure, fluid in the lungs, or seizures. Seizures from oxygen poisoning don’t typically cause brain damage
  • Low blood sugar

Side effects are generally mild as long as:

  • The therapy doesn’t last more than 2 hours
  • The pressure inside the chamber is less than 3 times that of the normal pressure in the atmosphere

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What happens during a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy session?
During an HBOT session, you will enter a specially designed chamber where the air pressure is increased. You’ll breathe in 100% oxygen for about 60 to 90 minutes, depending on your treatment plan. The process is completely non-invasive and is typically very comfortable. You may feel a slight pressure in your ears as the pressure increases, similar to what you feel when flying in an airplane.

2. Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy safe?
Yes, HBOT is a safe and well-established treatment when administered by trained professionals. We take every precaution to ensure that your experience is comfortable and safe. Our state-of-the-art equipment and certified staff ensure the highest level of care.

3. How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions required varies depending on your specific health goals and conditions. For general wellness, some clients benefit from weekly sessions, while others may need multiple sessions over a few weeks to treat specific conditions. Our expert team will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan.

4. Will I feel any side effects from HBOT?
Most people do not experience any significant side effects. However, some may feel mild discomfort such as ear pressure or a temporary feeling of fullness in the ears as the pressure changes. These sensations usually resolve quickly. Rare side effects may include lightheadedness or fatigue, but these are generally short-lived.

5. Can HBOT help with my injury or chronic condition?
Yes! HBOT has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of injuries and chronic conditions, including sports injuries, chronic pain, joint problems, and conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis. Our team will assess your situation and guide you on how HBOT can complement your treatment plan.

6. What should I wear for my HBOT session?
We recommend wearing loose, comfortable clothing. Avoid wearing any clothing with metal zippers, buttons, or jewelry, as these can interfere with the therapy. We also ask that you remove any lotions or oils before entering the chamber.

7. Is HBOT covered by insurance?
Insurance coverage for HBOT can vary depending on the specific condition being treated. Some medical conditions may be covered under certain insurance plans. We encourage you to check with your insurance provider or contact us for assistance in verifying your coverage.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.