Safe — because we
take it seriously.
In accredited facilities with physician screening, HBOT is one of medicine's safer procedures. That record exists because good clinics respect the risks — so here they are, unhidden.
Who should not dive
Absolute contraindication
Untreated pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Pressure changes could severely worsen it — it must be treated before any chamber exposure. This is the one hard "no" in hyperbaric medicine.
Screened first — relative contraindications
- •Certain chemotherapy drugs (bleomycin, doxorubicin, cisplatin)
- •Recent ear surgery or trouble equalizing ear pressure
- •Severe COPD or active respiratory infection
- •Uncontrolled seizure disorders or high fever
- •Claustrophobia (often manageable — talk to us)
- •Pregnancy (outside of emergency indications)
Our physicians screen every patient for all of these before a first session.
What you might feel
-
Ear pressure COMMON · MINOR
Like a plane descent during compression. Technicians teach you to equalize; it passes in minutes.
-
Temporary vision shift OCCASIONAL
Long courses can cause mild, temporary nearsightedness that reverses within weeks after treatment ends.
-
Fatigue or lightheadedness OCCASIONAL · BRIEF
Some people feel tired after early sessions; it typically fades as the course continues.
-
Oxygen toxicity seizure RARE
Roughly 1 in 10,000 treatments, resolves without lasting harm, and protocols include air breaks specifically to prevent it.
Our standards
Physician screening and supervision · hospital-grade chambers · NFPA 99-aligned fire safety (nothing flammable enters the chamber) · trained technicians monitoring every minute of every session.
Unsure whether something in your history matters?
Ask our medical team — free