Clinical Services

Center for Hyperbaric Medicine

A Patients Guide to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

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Side Effects

Generally, patients experience no after effects from hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Some patients report feeling lightheaded for a few minutes following a treatment, but this is brief and patients are able to continue with their normal daily activities.

A very small number of patients having hyperbaric oxygen therapy develop temporary changes in eyesight. Studies have shown in these rare cases that any altered vision is of short duration and will return to pre-treatment status within six to eight weeks after the end of treatment.

Like all medical treatments and procedures, some risks are associated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These risks are quite rare and they will be discussed with you before you sign your consent form for therapy. During the course of your treatment if you should notice any changes in the way you normally feel let the chamber personnel know.

Monitoring Wound Healing

If you have a non-healing wound, a test may be done to measure the oxygen level in the skin near the wound to see whether the wound is improving. This is called transcutaneous (through the skin) oxygen measurement. A small metal disk is attached to the skin near the wound. The disk heats the skin area underneath it, drawing oxygen to the surface for measurement. The test takes about 20 minutes and causes no discomfort.

For more information, please call the Department of Hyperbaric Medicine at 410-328-6152.

This page was last updated on: September 13, 2010.

For all patient information, please call 410-328-9284.