Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides a safe and effective way to promote healing and general wellness. At Desert Moon Wellness in Las Vegas, Nevada, board-certified nurse practitioner Amy Bass, APRN, NP-C, and co-founder Janelle Ardizzone, uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to support the body with natural healing in various medical conditions, including slow-healing wounds, long COVID, and sports injuries. Call the office to request a hyperbaric oxygen therapy consultation, or request your appointment online today.

What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a noninvasive treatment that promotes wellness by encouraging your body’s natural healing process.

During HBOT, you lie inside a pressurized chamber. Your Desert Moon Wellness provider increases the air pressure inside the chamber to 2-3 times higher than the normal air pressure outside the chamber.

Higher air pressure allows your lungs to collect more oxygen and fight infection. It also releases growth factors and stem cells –– microscopic proteins that promote healing.

Which problems can hyperbaric oxygen therapy treat?

Desert Moon Wellness uses HBOT to promote healing from the inside out. You might benefit from HBOT if you’ve been diagnosed with any of the following health problems:

• Sports injuries
• Concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Lyme disease
• Dementia
• Autism
• Gangrene
• Diabetic and other slow-healing wounds
• Infection
• Burns
• Crush injuries
• Severe anemia

Since hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes healing, it’s often used after skin grafts, stitches, and other surgeries.

HBOT is also used to treat long COVID, symptoms of COVID-19 that last for two or more months after the initial infection.

What are the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

HBOT offers several benefits, including:

• Tissue healing
• Improved circulation
• Increased production of antioxidants
• Infection defense
• Reduced swelling

Research shows HBOT might even improve sleep quality, giving you more energy to work and do other things during the day.

What does hyperbaric oxygen therapy involve?

HBOT takes 60-90 minutes.

On the day of your treatment, you take off your shoes, climb into a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and lie on your back. Your provider closes the chamber and raises the air pressure to 2-3 times higher than on the outside.

At first, you might experience a feeling of fullness or pressure in your head, similar to how it feels when you’re on a plane and your ears “pop.” You can relieve the discomfort by swallowing, yawning, or opening your mouth wide.

You stay in the chamber for about two hours. During that time, you can relax or nap. Your provider monitors you throughout treatment, ensuring the process is comfortable and relaxing.

What is recovery like after hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

After HBOT, your Desert Moon Wellness provider checks your vital signs, including your heart rate and blood pressure. It’s normal to feel tired and thirsty. Take the rest of the day off from work and other activities, and drink lots of water. You can return to your routine the next day.

Call Desert Moon Wellness to see if you can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or request your appointment online today.