Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment where a person breathes 100% oxygen inside a chamber pressurized higher than normal atmospheric pressure. This process forces a greater amount of oxygen to dissolve directly into the blood plasma. The increased oxygen concentration is delivered throughout the body, including to tissues deprived of oxygen due to injury or chronic disease. This enhanced delivery supports the body’s natural healing mechanisms, promoting tissue repair, reducing swelling, and helping to fight infections.
Session Length Varies by Medical Need
The duration of a hyperbaric oxygen treatment session is determined by the medical protocol established for the condition being treated. While the total time inside the chamber may be up to two hours, the treatment or “bottom time” usually ranges from 60 to 120 minutes. This is the period where the full therapeutic pressure is maintained to maximize the biological effects of the oxygen.
Session length depends on whether the condition is acute or chronic. Acute conditions, such as carbon monoxide poisoning or decompression sickness, often require an immediate protocol lasting around 90 minutes. These shorter sessions are designed to rapidly reverse the effects of the injury.
Chronic conditions, such as diabetic foot ulcers or radiation tissue damage, require a longer session time, often closer to 120 minutes. The extended duration provides the sustained hyperoxygenation necessary to stimulate cellular processes, including the growth of new blood vessels and the mobilization of stem cells. The treating physician tailors the specific pressure and time to the patient’s diagnosis for the most effective outcome.
What to Expect During a Single Session
A single HBOT session is divided into three phases: compression, treatment, and decompression. Compression involves the chamber slowly increasing in pressure, typically taking about 5 to 10 minutes. During this phase, the patient may experience pressure in their ears, similar to an airplane takeoff or landing.
To manage this pressure change and prevent ear discomfort, the patient must perform ear-clearing techniques, such as yawning, swallowing, or the Valsalva maneuver. Once the prescribed pressure is reached, the treatment phase, or “bottom time,” begins. This is the longest phase, where the patient breathes 100% oxygen for the duration specified by their medical protocol, which can be 50 to 100 minutes.
During the treatment phase, the atmosphere stabilizes, and most patients relax, read, or watch television in the chamber. The final phase is decompression, where the pressure is slowly reduced back to normal atmospheric levels. This slow reduction in pressure, which also takes around 5 to 10 minutes, is a safety measure to prevent gas bubbles from forming in the body. The patient may again notice a slight popping sensation in their ears as the pressure equalizes.
The Full Course of Treatment
The total time commitment for HBOT extends beyond a single session, as the therapy is rarely a one-time event. The total course of treatment is determined by the cumulative number of sessions needed to address the medical issue. For acute emergencies, the total number of sessions is low, with conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning sometimes requiring only one to three treatments.
More severe acute injuries may require a short series, often totaling 11 to 18 sessions. Chronic conditions demand a more extensive time investment because the biological changes required for healing take longer. Patients with non-healing wounds or radiation injuries typically require a regimented schedule of 20 to 40 sessions.
These sessions are usually administered daily, five days a week, meaning the total time spent in treatment spans several weeks or months. This frequency is necessary because the beneficial effects, such as the formation of new tissue and blood vessels, are a result of repeated, consistent exposure to the hyperbaric environment. The total time commitment is measured in the weeks or months it takes to complete the entire prescribed regimen.