Have you heard about the beneficial effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on your health, fitness and beauty? Would you like to try it, but aren’t quite sure what to expect?
Well, today we are taking a closer look at what it is like in practice to enter a hyperbaric chamber.
But let’s start at the beginning…
What exactly is a hyperbaric chamber?
It is a specialised device in which the air pressure can be controlled. It thus allows pure oxygen to be breathed at increased atmospheric pressure (usually 1.3 ATA).
This process significantly enhances the transport of oxygen to the tissues, which has a multitude of positive effects on the body. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is mainly (but not only) carried out for therapeutic purposes – it accelerates wound healing and improves the treatment of various diseases.
Read more about how oxygen therapy affects health.
The goals of the treatment can be varied and it is not only used to fight disease – treating the effects or preventing them.
HbOT (often abbreviated to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) helps athletes recover from injury, reduces inflammation, strengthens the immune system and keeps the complexion youthful for longer.
Fortunately, preparation does not require many complicated steps. At the beginning of the journey, at which we have the hyperbaric chamber and the numerous benefits of taking in oxygen with a higher concentration, there is…
Consultation with a doctor
You do not need a referral from your doctor to take part in oxygen therapy. However, it is advisable to consult a medical professional. Although contraindications to HbOT are fortunately very few, it is still impossible to deny that they exist.
Among the most common we can include: epilepsy, pulmonary arterial hypertension, claustrophobia, craniocerebral trauma, pregnancy or, last but not least, taking drugs such as bleomycin, cis-platinum and adriamycin.
Learn about all contraindications to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What to do before the treatment? How do I prepare myself?
Before we get into the essentials, a little bit of prevention – meaning there will be a mention of things to take into account before your appointment.
On the day of your session in the chamber, avoid alcohol, energy drinks and generally anything fizzy.
If you smoke cigarettes, it is best to abstain on the day of the HbOT approach. The iron rule is not to smoke 2 hours before entering the chamber.
What to eat? Avoid fatty, heavy foods. It will be best to serve your stomach a light meal.
When it comes to clothing, there are no rules, but we advise you to put on comfortable clothes. The treatment in the chamber lasts about 90 minutes, so agonising for an hour and a half in clothes that cause discomfort is something we strongly do not recommend.
What about cosmetics?
On the day of your treatment, do not apply creams or any other similar cosmetics to your skin. Remove make-up before you go out. Also refrain from using perfume.
We also advise against using nail varnish before the treatment.
Above all…
Follow the instructions of those carrying out the treatment. You will learn before you start that you are not allowed to bring devices such as a phone or lighter, for example. The list is a little longer, but there is no point in quoting it here, as the attendants will assess for themselves on site what you can and cannot bring into the chamber.
But don’t expect electronic entertainment – smartphones, tablets, ebook readers or portable consoles will not do. The good news, on the other hand, is that you can take a “traditional” book or magazine inside with you.
What does the treatment look like?
As has been said, it lasts around 90 minutes. Let’s assume that if we were to set a specific timeframe, this would represent 1-2 hours.
First of all, you will receive all the necessary information from the staff before the treatment – you will learn about safety procedures and how you can contact the staff while you are in the chamber. The whole process consists of three phases. The first is compression. Normally, this lasts about 10 minutes. This is followed by the actual oxygen therapy, or… pure, unhindered relaxation. Stretch out comfortably, breathe evenly, read something or just relax. After 70 minutes or so, move on to phase number 3 – decompression.
During the transition phases, you may be accompanied by unusual sensations in your ears, like when you are travelling on a plane and it starts to gain altitude. They should not cause any sense of discomfort.
You may also feel a sensation of warmth or cooling around your body – nothing that could endanger you in any way.
Is it worth it?
Of course it’s worth it! We are not going to expand here once again on the benefits of oxygen therapy itself – if you have reached this part of the text, you certainly already know about them.
The most important point in the whole process is to strictly follow the recommendations and instructions of the staff operating the chamber.
If you are still hesitant; this is understandable. Every new thing requires a first step, usually after considerable thinking – especially when it comes to health. However, you will quickly discover that oxygen therapy is a pleasure.
Especially when the first effects appear, and these often come after just the second treatment.
So don’t hesitate, take a look at what OxyBed Studio has to offer!
