Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy safe? What are the risks?

Clinical HBOT has a strong safety record when it's properly screened and supervised. The most common side effect is ear or sinus barotrauma from the pressure change — usually mild and preventable by learning to equalize. Temporary short-sightedness that resolves after a treatment course is also common. Serious events are rare: central-nervous-system oxygen toxicity (a seizure) occurs in roughly 1 in 10,000 treatments, and lung issues are rare at standard clinical pressures.

The real safety issue is fire — a pure-oxygen environment is highly flammable, which is why nothing flammable enters the chamber and accredited clinics follow strict protocols. Screening matters too: certain conditions (like an untreated collapsed lung) are contraindications, which is why a physician reviews every case first.