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Hyperbaric Chamber Dangers

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) consists of breathing pure oxygen while confined in a sealed pressurized chamber at 1 1/2 to 3 times normal atmospheric pressure. According to the American Cancer Society website, HBOT makes an effective treatment for the prevention of delayed bone damage, or osteoradionecrosis, caused by radiation therapy. It does contain some inherent risks, however, which you should know before using one.

  1. Dangers

    • Although the side effects from HBOT are generally mild and reversible, severe and life threatening problems occur occasionally, according to the British Medical Journal website. Side effects include reversible myopia due to oxygen toxicity: breathing molecular oxygen at elevated partial pressures, on the lens which can last for weeks or months. Respiratory failure associated with oxygen toxicity from the hyperbaric chamber occasionally occurs resulting in irreversible damage if due to pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring throughout the lungs. Occasionally epileptic seizures related to HBOT occur, but they usually cause no permanent damage.

    Risks

    • Fire hazard or explosion risks associated with the hyperbaric oxygen chamber occur due to high concentrations of oxygen, according to the American Cancer Society website. The British Medical Journal lists fire as the most common fatal hazard of HBOT. Proper operation of the chamber limits these potential hazards. Milder reactions to HBOT include fatigue, vomiting, claustrophobia and headaches. Reactions due to the atmospheric pressure, or barotraumas, include sinus damage, lung damage, ear damage and possible ruptured middle ear.

    Interaction with Existing Conditions

    • Aggravation of the symptoms related to severe congestive heart failure is sometimes a side effect of HBOT. Patients diagnosed with lung disease run the risk of a lung collapsing during treatment in the hyperbaric chamber. Doctors generally only consider HBOT treatment for pregnant women as a last resort in a serious case. Air breaks--periods of time where the patient breaths normal air--spaced throughout the treatment lowers the possibility of any of side effects associated with HBOT. In addition, limiting time in the chamber to less than two hours lowers the risks associated with the HBOT.

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