Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Help Long COVID Symptoms?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s revolutionary treatment methods have helped countless people heal from chronic health problems. Thanks to emerging medical studies, its treatment benefits are slowly transforming into a solution for Long COVID, too.
According to a 2022 study, roughly 7% of American adults today are living with Long COVID. With millions of people struggling with more than one long-term health problem after a COVID infection, how can hyperbaric oxygen therapy help?
Long COVID is still relatively new to the medical industry, but recent reports are showing promise. We’ll explore Long COVID symptoms, its current challenges in the medical industry, and how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can increase patients’ quality of life.
What Is Long COVID And What Are Its Symptoms?
Long COVID is a broad term for the long-term health complications caused by a COVID infection. People living with Long COVID are sometimes referred to as ‘long haulers’ since many have to manage their symptoms for months or even years.
COVID (also known as COVID-19 or coronavirus) is an easily transmissible respiratory virus. It predominantly spreads in the air from small droplets containing viral particles, though it can sometimes spread through contact with infected surfaces. While most people infected with COVID experience mild to moderate symptoms, some experience long-term side-effects.
Long COVID often has a variety of long-term symptoms, with the most common being a mixture of:
● Chronic fatigue
● Headaches
● Weakened immune system
● Brain fog (trouble concentrating or thinking)
● Heart palpitations
Emerging medical treatments, such as NAD+ and glutathione injections, are showing promise for treating Long COVID. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s focus on enhancing the body’s natural healing process is another treatment method that could change people’s lives for the better.
The Current Challenges Of Long COVID Treatment
What makes Long COVID treatment challenging are the vast number of symptoms people live with. Narrowing down the cause – and finding effective treatment – can be difficult, thus slowing down recovery.
Public Health Knowledge Is Still Growing
Many people today are still unaware they’re living with Long COVID. Due to Long COVID having several possible symptoms, it’s easy to think these side-effects come from another source.
For example, a person experiencing moderate fatigue after a Long COVID infection may believe their exhaustion comes from overnight shifts at work. Another person experiencing heart palpitations and dizziness may think their symptoms come from too much caffeine consumption.
Lack Of Awareness Around Treatment Options
Even if people are aware they’re experiencing Long COVID, they may not know who to turn to or what to use for symptom relief. They may use incompatible over-the-counter medication or hope for gradual recovery in the long-term.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s medical breakthroughs are only now gaining popularity, so medical education is key to helping people live healthier and longer lives.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Reducing Long COVID Symptoms
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (or HBOT for short) is a treatment method that gives a patient pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Since oxygen is essential for helping the body heal, this treatment is incredibly effective for chronic pain relief, recovery from surgery, and more.
Below are a few of the benefits of HBOT for Long Covid and its most common symptoms.
Reducing Chronic Fatigue
Fatigue is very common in Long COVID, affecting people’s ability to work, go to school, or spend time with family. Since the body’s cells need a regular supply of oxygen to create energy, using a hyperbaric chamber for COVID goes straight to the source of the problem.
Patients who have used hyperbaric oxygen therapy consistently report feeling more energized and refreshed. A recent Long COVID study found patients who received ten sessions of HBOT therapy over twelve days experienced significantly less fatigue.
Boosting The Immune System
Recent research has found a connection between COVID infections and a compromised immune system response. An improperly functioning immune system makes it easier for a patient to get sick or to experience more severe symptoms when sick.
One of hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s best-known results is how it gradually improves a patient’s immune response. In fact, it’s becoming more widely used to help boost the immune systems of people recovering from surgical operations.
Lowering Painful Inflammation
COVID infections can negatively impact the immune system by causing what’s known as a ‘cytokine storm’. This phenomenon is when the immune system becomes too aggressive, causing inflammation that leads to conditions such as heart disease or autoimmune disease.
Using a hyperbaric chamber for COVID treatment can reduce the pain associated with chronic inflammation. HBOT is becoming a regular source of treatment for patients struggling with inflammation-related conditions such as arthritis and Chron’s disease.
Restoring Brain Function
Many people with Long COVID struggle with short-term memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is commonly used to help with brain-related issues such as cognitive decline and stroke.
This treatment method helps the brain recover by stimulating neuroplasticity, a term referring to the brain’s ability to change, grow, and heal. Neuroplasticity is responsible for helping the brain to gradually adjust nerve cells, resulting in reduced symptoms. As such, HBOT for Long Covid could provide much-needed relief and increased recovery from brain fog.
The Bottom Line
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s powerful healing benefits hold the potential to help Long COVID patients recover faster. Knowledge of this cutting-edge treatment method is the first step toward experiencing relief from common Long COVID symptoms.
HBOT therapy is a safe and relaxing process that involves laying in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for 60 to 90 minutes. Our transparent pricing model and flexible payment plans lets you choose a treatment plan that fits your health and your budget.
We offer additional medical treatments you can supplement hyperbaric oxygen therapy with, such as IV therapy and supplements.
We’re ready to help you accelerate your healing and improve your quality of life. Contact us today to set up an appointment to use HBOT for Long COVID.
References:
Dzifa Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Ph.D., M.P.H., Anjel Vahratian, Ph.D., M.P.H., Cria G. Perrine, Ph.D., and Jeanne Bertolli, Ph.D., M.P.H. (2023) Long COVID in Adults: United States, 2022 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db480.htm
World Health Organization (2021) https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-how-is-it-transmitted
Tim Robbins, Michael Gonevski, Cain Clark, Sudhanshu Baitule, Kavi Sharma, Angel Magar, Kiran Patel, Sailesh Sankar, Ioannis Kyrou, Asad Ali, Harpal S Randeva, (2021) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of long COVID: early evaluation of a highly promising intervention https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8806311/
Cheong, J., Ravishankar, A., Sharma, S., Parkhurst, C. N., Grassmann, S. A., Wingert, C. K., Laurent, P., Ma, S., Paddock, L., Miranda, I. C., Karakaslar, E. O., Nehar-Belaid, D., Thibodeau, A., Bale, M. J., Kartha, V. K., Yee, J. K., Mays, M. Y., Jiang, C., Daman, A. W., … Josefowicz, S. Z. (2023). Epigenetic memory of coronavirus infection in innate immune cells and their progenitors. Cell, 186(18), 3882-3902.e24. https://covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/severe-covid-19-may-cause-long-term-immune-system-changes
Challenge 6: Why does COVID-19 affect people differently? https://medicine.yale.edu/coved/modules/virus/different/
Kendra Cherry, MSEd, How Neuroplasticity Works (2024) https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886
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