Medical professionals use hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, to treat a wide array of conditions, including carbon-monoxide poisoning, air or gas embolisms, and decompression sickness, and also to speed the healing of wounds. HBOT involves the administration of pure oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure to patients who are placed in an air-tight chamber. Despite its ability to save lives, HBOT can cause unwelcome side effects and may be contraindicated if you have certain preexisting conditions.
Barotrauma
The increased pressure experienced by patients undergoing HBOT sometimes causes damage to the ears and sinuses. Barotrauma of this sort is the most frequent and bothersome of HBOT's side effects, according to the website of Cincinnati Hyperbarics. If you are scheduled to undergo HBOT, ask your doctor or your HBOT therapist to give you a short course in self-administered techniques to clear your ears during the procedure. Alternatively, your HBOT technicians may insert tubes in your ears to keep them clear during therapy and thus minimize the risk of damage. Increased pressure may also result in changes in your vision during treatment, but these are usually temporary and minor in nature. The potential for this sort of barotrauma may make HBOT inadvisable for people with preexisting auditory, sinus or vision problems.
Oxygen Toxicity
Exposure to 100-percent oxygen at increased pressures in rare cases can cause oxygen toxicity. Aurora Health Care estimates that this side effect is seen in less than one patient out of every 10,000 who are treated. This condition usually manifests itself in the form of central nervous system or pulmonary symptoms. In rare cases HBOT triggers seizures, which most often cease when the patient is removed from the chamber, according to Cincinnati Hyperbarics. To minimize the incidence of oxygen toxicity, hyperbaric therapists generally take into consideration factors such as a patient's history of acidosis, hypoglycemia and seizures before beginning treatment.
Claustrophobia
A number of HBOT patients experience feelings of claustrophobia when confined in the hyperbaric chamber. To minimize this problem, therapists may administer mild sedation or teach you some simple relaxation techniques to help overcome feelings of anxiety during treatment. HBOT therapists also attempt to maintain communication with you throughout the procedure.
Other Considerations
Aurora Health Care says that HBOT therapy will not be attempted on patients with an untreated pneumothorax---air or gas trapped in the pleural cavity of the lungs. Other conditions may require a modification of treatment. Advise your HBOT therapist if you suffer from a viral infection, chronic sinusitis, upper respiratory infection, high fever, seizure disorder, sickle cell anemia, pulmonary lesions, emphysema or have a history of reconstructive ear surgery, spontaneous pneumothorax, thorax surgery or optic neuritis.
