FAQs

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is perhaps best known as a treatment for divers who have “the bends,” a serious condition caused by nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues of the body.

HBOT is routinely used in hospitals for acute and outpatient care where it’s used to treat a small assortment of serious conditions.

Internationally, HBOT is used much more extensively to treat over 70 conditions. The ability of HBOT to beneficially influence the mechanisms of regeneration/repair, inflammation, infection, swelling, and the immune system results in a versatile treatment which can target specific conditions as well as improve overall health and wellness.

HBOT is a simple application of basic physics called Henry’s Law. Henry’s Law states that if you put any liquid (e.g., blood, water, etc.) in contact with any gas (oxygen, nitrogen, etc.) and then put them under pressure, the gas will thoroughly saturate the liquid.

HBOT is simplicity personified. You breathe high-purity oxygen in an enclosed chamber which is pressurized according to the condition being treated. Pressurization shrinks the size of the oxygen molecules, enabling the high-purity oxygen to penetrate deeper and more fully into the body via plasma and fluids of the body. This resulting hyper-oxygenation of the body’s cells and tissues has several key effects, some of which occur immediately and others which build with longer-term use.

Over the past few decades, the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen have been well documented for treating a wide variety of health issues: diabetic wounds, PTSD, TBI, bacterial and viral infections (including COVID-19), post-surgical recovery, sports injury recovery/healing, and mental/brain function decline.

HBOT is also a sound adjunct treatment protocol for a variety of cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation therapies.

For a more complete list, see Benefits and Conditions list on the About HBOT page.

HBOT is non-invasive and painless. HBOT procedures have been refined over the past century to enable extraordinarily safe operations. All WOW staff (the WOWzers) are certified HBOT operators who follow well-documented procedures to ensure safe and comfortable dives for all Very Oxygenated Persons (VOPs).

Clients will wear 100% cotton scrubs, use a dedicated single-user oxygen mask provided by WOW, and will go through a quick training session before each dive to ensure maximum safety.

There is a list of prohibited items inside the chamber. No electronic devices are allowed in a WOW chamber, nor is jewelry, watches, body lotion, etc. Find the full list here.

For a complete list of conditions HBOT improves, see the About HBOT page.

Generally, any potential side effects from HBOT are minimal and short lived. Some patients notice a fullness in their ears or a "snap, crackle, pop" sound. Rarely, some individuals notice more abdominal gas or belching afterward. In both cases, the effects are temporary.

Ear or sinus problems can result from the changing pressures during an HBOT dive, similar to what is experienced when flying in an airplane. During the dive, if the VOP has trouble adjusting to the changing pressure (i.e., equalizing their ears), the WOW chamber operator will simply hold the pressure steady or lower it until the VOP can equalize and continue the dive. All WOW dive protocols are designed to minimize problems with equalization.

Very rarely, some VOPs may notice a slight change in their vision, which usually dissipates quickly after the dive protocol is completed.

Diabetics may experience a change in blood sugars. If you use a glucose monitor, please bring it with you.

WOW uses “hard” chambers of steel and acrylic with telescoping gurneys (think MRI but with a clear view and the ability to move around, read, watch TV, listen to music, or just sleep.)

These chambers are capable of providing the necessary pressure for a wide variety of HBOT protocols.

You’ll likely feel a pleasant or comforting sensation after about 10-15 minutes as your body starts becoming suffused with oxygen. During the pressurization and depressurization, you will experience similar sensations in your ears as you would when taking off in an airplane. Our hyperbaric staff will teach you proper ear-clearing techniques.