Treatment
There are three basic stages
of HBO therapy: compression, treatment
and decompression. All three stages are
painless.
The compression stage begins
after you are comfortable in the chamber.
The door will close and extra air will begin flowing into the
chamber. You will hear the compressors
working. You may notice an increase in
the temperature as the air begins to circulate.
This increase in temperature is temporary and will be adjusted to a
comfortable level once the correct pressure is obtained.
You may also notice fullness in your ears
similar to the sensation you feel when changing altitude in an airplane,
driving in the mountains or riding an elevator in a tall building. The chamber attendant will coach you on the
many ways to relieve the fullness in your ears, should it occur. As your eardrums respond to the changing
pressures, you may hear popping or crackling noises. This is normal. However, if at any time
during the treatment you experience ear pain, alert the chamber attendant and
pressurization will be stopped until you are able to obtain relief.
The treatment stage begins
following pressurization. At this time,
the attendant will place a clear plastic hood over your head, and 100% oxygen
will begin flowing into the hood. The hood
will not interfere with your vision, breathing or ability to speak. The length of treatment may vary depending on
the condition for which you are treated.
Most treatments are complete in 90 minutes.
The decompression stages
begins once treatment is completed.
During compression, the chamber will become cooler and you may again
notice a popping in your ears.
Most wounds require an average of 30 to 40 HBO
treatments, sometimes more. The
hyperbaric physician, in consultation with your physician, will determine the
best treatment schedule for you. A
minimum of five days of HBO per week is necessary to obtain full benefit. If transportation or other problems prevent
you from obtaining regular treatment, we will usually discontinue HBO until
these problems can be resolved.
You should allow
approximately two hours for hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The therapy is scheduled daily and
occasionally twice daily. It is
important that you arrive on time, as any delay will affect other patients’
treatment as well as your own. Please
call if you are unable to make an appointment because of an emergency.
Side effects rarely occur with HBO. However, if you experience any pain or
continuing fullness in your ears, discuss this with the physician supervising
your treatment. On rare occasions, some
patients develop temporary changes in eyesight, usually becoming more
nearsighted. Do not discard your old
corrective lenses should your prescription change during treatment, as any
vision changes generally resolved over time.
There is a one in 2,000 to one in 10,000 change that oxygen therapy will
cause nausea or even seizures. These
side effects, when they occur, stop immediately when the hood is removed and
cause no permanent problems. Because
such symptoms almost never occur expect in patients with high fevers, we will
take your temperature every day before treatment. Please let us know before beginning therapy
if you have a history of epilepsy or seizures.
NOTE: Before undergoing a course of hyperbaric
oxygen therapy, you will have a chest X-ray as well as breathing tests, if
indicated. Patients with severe asthma or smoker’s lung disease may not be
candidates for HBO. Please tell us if
you are or have ever been a smoker.