FAQ
any questions? we got you.
Here are some common questions about the treatment.
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. It is used to treat several medical conditions. Breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber helps your body reset to healthy levels—cells repair more rapidly, new collagen is produced, circulation improves, and your brain revives.
Are there any side effects?
HBOT has been considered a safe treatment for many years. Like any medical treatment, it can have potential side effects. These side effects are typically mild and temporary, but they can include: (a) Temporary vision changes in rare cases, such as nearsightedness or worsening of existing vision problems. These changes typically resolve after treatment ends. (b) Oxygen toxicity – due to breathing pure oxygen at high pressures for extended periods. However, this is rare and occurs at higher pressures and more prolonged treatment durations than in standard and monitored HBOT. (c) Barotrauma: In rare cases, the pressure changes during HBOT can cause barotrauma and tissue damage caused by pressure imbalances. This can affect the ears, sinuses, or lungs.
What is the intake process?
Noah’s intake process includes (a) Medical Evaluation: This evaluation will assess your overall health, medical history, current medications, and specific conditions for which you’re seeking HBOT. (b) Discuss benefits and risks, considering your circumstances and medical condition. (c) a thorough physical examination will be performed.
How many treatments will I need?
The appropriate number of treatments will be determined based on the individual’s preferences and recommendations by Noah Clinic physicians. Generally, patients require 5-40 sessions, though this could be more or less depending on the patient’s specific condition or circumstance. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy shows effectiveness when frequent treatment sessions are conducted.
Does insurance cover HBOT?
Insurance will cover HBOT for FDA-approved indications. However, Noah Clinics first and foremost provides ‘Emerging Conditions’ with solid medical research data, but they have yet to be approved by the FDA. One should always check with their individual insurance carrier for a final determination.
My doctor told me I need surgery. Can I do hyperbaric oxygen therapy instead as a workaround?
No, while hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be very helpful to prepare a patient for extensive surgery, as well as to promote healing after extensive surgery, it is not intended to, nor is it be able to cut, sew, or repair structures in the body, as would a surgeon in an operating room.
I have hardware in my body from previous orthopedic surgery. Am I able to do HBOT?
Yes, HBOT can be safely performed on any patient with internal hardware as a result of orthopedic surgery in the past. As long as the hardware is, “within the flesh”, and not exposed to the outside world, there’s no problem.
Is it okay to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy on someone who has a pacemaker?
It depends. While most all of the modern pacemakers are well-contained and should be safe inside a hyperbaric chamber, your cardiologist still has to approve of you going into a hyperbaric chamber with the device. Additionally the manufacturer has to be consulted as well to ensure that their device is HBOT compatible.
Patients with ICDs, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, which are devices that deliver a small shock internally, if they sense a dangerous arrhythmia, were once considered taboo in the world of HBOT. Many recent studies have shown that if the device is properly manufactured and placed it can be as safe as a pacemaker. But still the ground rules apply. The manufacturer must be in approval with its use in that setting, and the cardiologist has to be comfortable with this as well.
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Is it okay to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy on someone who has a pacemaker?
It depends. While most all of the modern pacemakers are well-contained and should be safe inside a hyperbaric chamber, your cardiologist still has to approve of you going into a hyperbaric chamber with the device. Additionally the manufacturer has to be consulted as well to ensure that their device is HBOT compatible.
Patients with ICDs, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, which are devices that deliver a small shock internally, if they sense a dangerous arrhythmia, were once considered taboo in the world of HBOT. Many recent studies have shown that if the device is properly manufactured and placed it can be as safe as a pacemaker. But still the ground rules apply. The manufacturer must be in approval with its use in that setting, and the cardiologist has to be comfortable with this as well.
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I have an implanted pump in my body. Can I still do hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
No. HBOT is strictly contraindicated in anyone with a pain pump that releases morphine sequentially into the body for pain control. The increased atmospheric pressure can cause it to release much more than your doctor had intended and possibly cause an overdose. HBOT is similarly contradicted in someone with an insulin pump for pretty much the same reasons.
Patients with ICDs, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, which are devices that deliver a small shock internally, if they sense a dangerous arrhythmia, were once considered taboo in the world of HBOT. Many recent studies have shown that if the device is properly manufactured and placed it can be as safe as a pacemaker. But still the ground rules apply. The manufacturer must be in approval with its use in that setting, and the cardiologist has to be comfortable with this as well.
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I heard that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has activity against cancer. Can I do this instead of chemotherapy and radiotherapy?
No. HBOT is not intended nor was it ever intended to be a primary treatment against cancer. HBOT has various properties which do make the body’s internal environment inhospitable to cancer cells. There are certain studies going on where HBOT may be used as a “chemotherapy sparing modality”. HBOT tremendously increases the potency of chemotherapy. That’s why, under standard conditions, we never use it at the same time as chemotherapy because it can make chemotherapy so powerful that it becomes toxic studies are currently underway where HBOT is being used with chemotherapy but at 1/10 of the dose or less to see if there is some sort of synergy. Suffice it to say that at this time it cannot be used while a person is doing chemotherapy.
HBOT CAN used to prepare the body for the deleterious effects of chemotherapy or therapy on the healthy cells of the body. It can also help the body recover from a difficult course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy as well. It is also used to counteract the damaging effects of radiotherapy and any damage it causes to the body, including skin ulcers and other negative effects. Such an endeavor requires close cooperation and approval from the cancer specialist. Keep in mind that at NOAA clinics, we are not here to replace your regular doctor, your cancer specialist, or any of the doctors who are rendering conventional medical care to you. We’re here to enhance the entire process and help where we can. Synergy with cancer care is a topic, which, like all the other topics listed here, require careful consultation with a physician and generally do not have a patent answer, easily answered by an FAQ.
What about my arthritis? Can HBOT help me with that?
In a word, yes. Depending on the type of arthritis, the severity, and if any joints are seriously damaged, that may dictate a different protocol or pressure used, but in general arthritis can respond quite favorably to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Does HBOT help with Lupus?
HBOT can also help with lupus and other autoimmune conditions.
If I have kidney disease or kidney failure, can I still get into a hyperbaric chamber?
Yes, kidney disease, even frank renal failure and AV shunts, used in dialysis, pose no contraindication to a patient receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
I have diabetes. Can I still do HBOT?
Diabetes is a condition with varying causes and varying types. It requires very careful management, both the for a person begins hyperbaric therapy, and with every “dive” (treatment interval). Clearly a consultation with a trained physician is in order prior to answering that question.
I’m getting over pneumonia. Can HBOT help me do that?
While HBOT can help to heal injured lung tissue, it cannot be used in someone with an active lung infection, consolidation, or in various other situations involving the lungs. A consultation with a trained physician is necessary.
What conditions preclude me from doing HBOT?
There is a very long list of things that must be considered and accounted for. As with every other situation described in these FAQs, a consultation with a trained hyperbaric physician is necessary for approving a patient to undergo hyperbaric therapy. That’s why here at Noah Clinics, we provide an initial consultation, free of charge.