How is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Administered?

You will comfortably lie inside a hyperbaric chamber for 60-90 minutes per day during treatment. Many patients start out with about 20 treatments, however some protocols consist of 5 or fewer sessions. Treatments may be extended further, depending on the progress of healing. The chamber is pressurized with 100 percent oxygen to the equivalent of diving 33 to 45 feet below sea level (2-3 times normal air pressure). The increased air pressure creates a temporary feeling of fullness in your ears — similar to what you might feel in an airplane or at a high altitude. You can relieve that feeling by yawning or swallowing. Your treatment is performed under medical supervision and you have the ability to communicate with someone at all times should you need anything. This increase in pressure allows more oxygen to be dissolved into your plasma (up to 10 to 20 times more than normal). The air you normally breathe is about 21 percent oxygen. In a hyperbaric chamber, you are breathing roughly 200 percent to 240 percent oxygen.