Is HBOT Therapy Right for You? A Comprehensive Guide to Treatment

Oxygen is an inevitable vital for human survival. The air that you breathe daily is a homogenous mixture of
many gaseous substances, such as nitrogen (N2) 78%, oxygen (O2) 21%, 1% other gases, and water
vapor. The nitrogen, when breathed, does not participate in respiration and comes out as it is. Of the 21%
oxygen, 16% is exhaled back with an additional 4% carbon dioxide. Only the amount of oxygen needed is
retained in the body.

What is HBOT?
HBOT, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy, is the treatment of 97% to 100% oxygen filled in a specialized hitech
oxygen chamber at an air pressure of 1.5 to 2 times the usual. This therapy allows the individual to
breathe in pure oxygen under pressure. As per Boyle’s law, the oxygen molecules become smaller under
hyperbaric pressure making it more soluble. In the case of tissue injuries, the oxygen molecules
dissolved in the plasma and other body fluids are directly responsible for formation of new blood vessels
and the growth of new tissues. It has several other benefits that we will discuss further in this blog post.
The agency of food and drug administration (FDA) of United states (USA) has cleared the use of HBOT as
safe and effective. HBOT Therapy treatment started in the 1940s to treat the decompression sickness of
deep-sea divers of the U.S. Navy. At the primary stages, the HBOT was also used to treat carbon
monoxide poisoning. The scope of using Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy has broadened over time.
How is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helpful?
• HBOT fills your blood with a significantly high amount of oxygen, making it reach the remotest
tissues and cells of the body.
• Increased oxygen in the blood boosts the wound healing of surgical procedures, infected wounds,
skin grafts, burns, and crush injuries and non-healing amputation stump.
• It stimulates the production of collagen protein, which is the primary building block of our skin,
muscles, bones, ligaments, and many other connective tissues.
• HBOT can prevent severe tissue damage to oxygen-deprived tissues.
• It also increases the body’s resistance to infections and blocks harmful bacteria.
• HBOT also helps in treating radiation injuries, such as the damage after radiation therapy for
treating cancer.
• In HBOT chamber, 60 times more oxygen is dissolved in plasma & body fluids.

What diseases can be treated by HBOT?
Hyperbaric chamber treatment can help in treating the following medical conditions:
• Ortho-general diseases like diabetic foot, necrotizing fasciitis, compartment syndrome, pressure
ulcers and Gas Gangrene.
• Neurological diseases like head injuries, Stroke, Autism, intracranial abscess, cerebral palsy,
spinal cord contusion, Trigeminal neuralgia and Bell’s palsy.
• Ophthalmological diseases like central retinal artery occlusion (sudden vision loss) and Optic
neuritis.
• Oncological conditions like Post radiation cystitis, post radiation proctitis, mandibular
osteoradionecrosis, prophylactic HBOT before radiation treatment and post radiation non healing
wounds.
• ENT conditions like sudden sensorineural hearing loss, malignant otitis externa, Skull base
osteomyelitis (SBO), mucormycosis and rhino cerebral mycosis.

HBOT and Sahaj Hospital
Sahaj Hospital has always been ahead in technology and has been providing accommodation for
hyperbaric oxygen therapy since 2020, soon after the introduction of the COVID-19 virus. Currently,
Sahaj is having a monobaric unit of hi-tech and comfortable hyperbaric oxygen chamber. It has been
placed in a dedicated and sophisticated place for safety purposes where the attendants are allowed to
observe the patient.

Sahaj has done more than 1000+ cases of HBOT until now.
We will now answer some FAQs about the accommodation of Hyperbaric Chamber treatment.

How many sessions of HBOT can I take in a month?
The number of sessions may vary depending on the condition being treated.

What are some pre-HBOT precautions?
– You must not carry anything that contains flammable things, lighters, matches, or anything
with batteries or gases.
– Wear 100% cotton clothes because it doesn’t generate static electricity to reduce the risk of
sparks and fire.
– Avoid drinking alcohol or carbonated drinks before the treatment.
– Avoid if you have flu or a cold.
– No mobile phones, watches, glasses, contacts, or jewelry are allowed inside the chamber.

What is the duration of an HBOT therapy session?
The usual duration of an HBOT session is 60–70 minutes or more, depending on the plan.

Can people with asthma take HBOT?
Yes, if the condition is not chronic; it depends on the patient’s condition and physical fitness.

Can pregnant women take HBOT?
HBOT therapy is not recommended for pregnant women considering the complications that may occur
due to the pressure of the chamber.

What are the side effects of the HBOT therapy?
There are usually no side effects but mild clogging of the ear or nose; the effects may vary person to
person.

Can my ears rupture under the pressure of an HBOT chamber?
The HBOT is done under careful supervision and examination, so the chances are too slim to consider.

What malfunctions may occur during the HBOT therapy?
Sahaj uses flagship-level high-end machines, so there is nearly no scope for malfunctions.

Can people with claustrophobia take the HBOT therapy?
People with claustrophobia may have trouble facing the closed chamber. But at Sahaj, acutely feared
people can take HBOT as the upper half of the chamber is transparent and see through.

What precautions should be kept in mind after an HBOT session?
Nothing as such; you may get back to your usual lifestyle after the sessions.

What are the chances of getting oxygen toxicity during HBOT sessions?
Oxygen toxicity is taking too much highly concentrated oxygen which may happen in sessions too long in
rare cases, we limit our sessions to 60-70 minutes which is too far from being risky.

What are the emergency protocols for HBOT treatment?
The HBOT chamber comes with an accessible emergency switch that can be pressed from inside. The
chamber room as well is equipped with disaster management for electric and fire hazards, limiting the
chances of any unfortunate disaster to zero.

Do we cover insurance?
Yes, HBOT therapy is covered depending on your disease, if HBOT is prescribed by your doctor and if it is
covered by your insurance at the same time. It depends on your policy terms and conditions. Most
insurances cover the FDA approved 14 defined conditions and many more off label conditions that your
insurance may or may not cover.