Hyperbaric Chambers and Treatment - How it works
What happens during treatment? | How do I prepare? |Prohibited items | How often will I be treated
Hyperbaric oxygen works by:-
- It increases the amount of oxygen to injured tissues or parts of your body with a poor blood supply.
- It reduces swelling.
- It promotes healing of wounds.
- It helps to fight infections in problem wounds.
- It stimulates new bone formation when the bone is infected.
What happens during treatment?
You will go into a multiplace chamber - able to accommodate several patients with a technician, who will be inside, with you at all times.
Oxygen will be delivered via a comfortable mask or hood, allowing you to relax and read while the treatment is going on.
Once comfortably inside the chamber, you will be aware of air slowly being pushed into the chamber - called compression. At this point you will feel a fullness in your ears similar to that felt in an aircraft.
Once you feel this you should clear your ears. This is most easily done by moving your lower jaw around or blowing through your nose while holding your nostrils between your fingers, with your mouth closed.
You will be shown this in detail by the technician. If you feel any discomfort, tell the technician who will be able to help you. At the end of the treatment the mask or hood will be removed and the air inside the chamber slowly released. This is called decompression.
You will feel your ears pop again, which is normal, but you will feel no pain.
Total treatment takes about 1 hour 40 minutes for daily cases, while emergency cases can take up to 12 hours.
- It is important to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled treatment.
- Please do not smoke for about two hours before and after your oxygen treatment. We suggest that if at all possible you should stop smoking as this will help wound healing.
- No alcohol prior to treatment.
- Eat a regular meal before treatment, especially if you are diabetic. Some diabetic patients may need to slightly reduce insulin dosage.
- Take your medications (if any) as usual. But remember to tell the doctor what they are or if they have been changed.
- If you have a cold or sinus congestion tell the doctor before going into the chamber.
- Certain things cannot be brought into the chamber. If you are not sure, ask the technician.
- Lighters/matches
- Make up
- Cigarettes
- Lipstick/Chapstick
- Wigs
- Hairspray or hair oil
- Petroleum Jelly or other ointments
- Synthetic Clothing (Cotton clothing is fine)
- Hearing Aids
- Hard Contact Lenses
- Watches
How often will I be treated...
A typical course of treatment for patient's referred by hospital would be 30 to 40 daily (Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays) sessions.
Each session is 2 hours and treatment slots are arranged at 9am to 11am, 11am to 1pm and 1pm to 3pm. Appointment availability is dependent upon number and type of patient's we are currently treating. Where it is possible to accommodate a favoured time we will do so.
We do ask that all patients referred for a course of treatment try their utmost to complete the course of treatment in a continuous block. Frequently missing treatments can adversely affect outcome.
Emergency patient referrals, diving, carbon monoxide poisoning, soft tissue infections and so on follow a different treatment pattern. These patients will be treated on an initial longer table, often 5 to 7 hours in the case of divers with 'the bends', and subsequent shorter 1 hour 40 minute treatments until fully recovered.
