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As people seek solutions to their challenging medical conditions, the terms “oxygen chambers,” “oxygen therapy,” and “hyperbaric oxygen therapy” often come up. These terms are closely related but represent distinct concepts that can have a significant impact on health and well-being. Here at Hyperbaric Vermont, we feel it’s important to clarify the difference between these terms.  Oxygen Chambers Oxygen chambers, also known as hyperbaric chambers or oxygen therapy chambers, are specialized enclosures designed to administer hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). These chambers create a controlled environment where patients can breathe oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure. This elevated pressure allows more oxygen to dissolve in the bloodstream, leading to various health benefits. At Hyperbaric Vermont, our chambers are soft-sided, rather than metal, and are pre-set to pressurize to 1.3 atmospheres. This is known as Mild HBOT. For most conditions, studies have shown that Mild HBOT is an equally – if not more – effective treatment, and it’s much less aggressive on the nervous system.  Oxygen Therapy Oxygen therapy, a broader term, involves the administration of supplemental oxygen to patients who require higher oxygen levels than what’s available in the ambient air. Oxygen therapy is used to treat a range of medical conditions, […]

Understanding the Differences: Oxygen Chambers, Oxygen Therapy, and Hyperbaric Oxygen ...

Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash According to the CDC, over 476,000 new Lyme disease cases are diagnosed and treated each year, and worldwide, at least 1 in 7 people have been or are currently infected. Part of the challenge of treating chronic Lyme is that there is no reliable biomarker on which to base testing. So, testing is often not effective and many people go undiagnosed for years. Also, ticks have the capacity to carry and transmit a wide range of microorganisms all at the same time, making it difficult to distinguish between Lyme and a host of other potential co-infections, including babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a powerful tool for treating all of these infections – as well as similarly debilitating conditions like mold toxicity. HBOT also increases the effectiveness of most medications used to treat these diseases. HBOT’s power comes in part from the fact that oxygen is a natural antimicrobial, so it can combat all the microorganisms which cause Lyme and its co-infections. It’s particularly potent against the anaerobes, which normally hide out in areas of the body which are lower in oxygen due […]

Managing Chronic Lyme Disease With HBOT

Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash By Miranda Orso, Communications Associate Picturesque Vermont, with its natural beauty and tranquility, can also serve as a beautiful backdrop for stress — whatever circumstances are to blame. Mother Nature reminded us all of this recently with excessive rain, flooding, mudslides, closings, and the potential health risks that follow. Fortunately, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can help restore some of your wellbeing by alleviating the effects of stress-related conditions.  Understanding Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy After I joined Hyperbaric Vermont, I was introduced to how this innovative therapy works at our South Burlington office, where patients from all walks of life get treatment inside one of our hyperbaric chambers. While I first thought the chambers looked like something belonging to a space station, I learned that these machines expose our (quite earthbound) bodies to increased atmospheric pressure while we inhale 95% oxygen. This is much safer than the 100% oxygen one gets in higher pressure chambers, which can cause oxygen toxicity or combust. Great, right? But you’re probably thinking, “What exactly does this have to do with my through-the-roof stress levels?” Well, while you’re relaxing in the chamber, the oxygen is permeating all the fluids and tissues […]

Managing Stress With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Our founder, Dr. Grace Johnstone, just had an email Q&A with a fellow named Adam, who had a number of questions about HBOT that were both pertinent and charming. These questions are incredibly common for people considering HBOT treatment, and speak to the kind of details that our well-informed patients are thinking about. We hope you both enjoy and benefit from this exchange between Dr. Grace and Adam: Adam: Is there any danger of decompressing too quickly from the homeowner style devices? I can’t seem to find any info on that but it would stand to reason that 1.3 -1.5 ATA is not enough pressure to make decompression sickness a concern, regardless of whether one takes 10 minutes to decompress or 1 minute. Is this true? Dr. Grace: These chambers have been “burst tested” as part of the FDA testing process and no harm to participants was incurred. They are below the threshold to result in decompression sickness. Decompression speed can be controlled by the user, and is normally performed to tolerance – so for some this means gradual decompression over a few minutes, whereas others can open the valve fully and be out in less than a minute. Adam: There is a facility […]

Q&A With Dr. Grace And Adam

We’ve been wondering about HBOT and whether it can help symptoms of peri/menopause. While we haven’t found any direct studies, we have found some good links. This study concluded that HBOT reduces oxidative stress: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37108205/ Then we looked up menopause and oxidative stress. It turns out that estrogen is a potent antioxidant, and estrogen deficiency during peri/menopause can lead to oxidative stress. And what are the symptoms of oxidative stress? Issues such as: – Wrinkles and grey hair – Decreased eye sight – Fatigue – Memory loss and/or brain fog – Muscle and/or joint pain – Headaches and sensitivity to noise – Susceptibility to infections Hello menopause! We know, from treating other conditions, that HBOT can address many of these symptoms. If it can also fix wrinkles and grey hair, we should have people knocking down our doors…

HBOT and Menopause

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash Brain fog, also known as “cognitive fog” or “mental fog,” is a term used to describe a collection of symptoms that affect cognitive function and mental clarity. It is often associated with Long COVID, a condition where individuals experience persistent symptoms after recovering from the acute phase of COVID-19. Understanding the Symptoms of Brain FogBrain fog is characterized by feeling mentally fatigued, difficulty concentrating, and a general sense of confusion or haziness. People experiencing brain fog may find it challenging to think clearly, remember things, or process information effectively.  The specific symptoms of brain fog can vary from person to person, but some common experiences include: Brain fog also leads to slowed thinking, difficulty finding words, or problems with multitasking. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Brain FogThe exact cause of brain fog in Long COVID is not yet fully understood, but current scientific thinking is that it results from a combination of factors, including inflammation, immune system dysfunction, and the overall impact of the virus on the body. It can be quite distressing for individuals experiencing brain fog, as it can interfere with daily activities, work performance, and overall quality of life. Because HBOT is […]

Clearing The Mists Of Brain Fog With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

To The Editor: We were moved to read the personal narratives you shared in your May 12 story, 3 years into the pandemic, Vermonters are still getting — and struggling with — long Covid. The chronic challenges of conditions like Long Covid and Lyme Disease are too common in our state. However, we were disappointed that no mention was made of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as a therapeutic modality for addressing these issues. HBOT – the therapeutic use of oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressure – isn’t well known in the US, but is widely used worldwide to treat everything from Multiple Sclerosis to Autism to Bell’s Palsy to Stroke and Rheumatoid Arthritis. HBOT is a potent anti-inflammatory, and a viable option for treating patients with Long Covid. Here at Hyperbaric Vermont, we’ve had a great deal of success helping Long Covid patients recover, and scientific studies from the UK and Israel support our experience. We are dedicated to hope, healing, and recovery for all Vermonters, and it would be a shame if folks who are suffering remain in the dark about a simple, effective treatment which can help them regain their health. Sincerely, Kathryn Blume, Managing Director

Letter To VT Digger

By Miranda Orso, Communications Associate What brought you here today? Is it the constant ups and downs of fighting Lyme disease? Has there been nothing short of, well nothing, to help you manage the Long COVID symptoms still affecting your body? Some might simply say, pain.  You’re probably a little confused about what Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) even is, and what it can do for you or someone close to you. That’s completely common. Before joining the team at Hyperbaric Vermont, I knew very little about the treatment myself. However, from the moment I started learning about HBOT, I quickly saw something that’s easily changing, and in some cases, saving lives.  What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy? Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is, simply, the medical use of oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure. Increased pressure and oxygen levels have potent physical effects, and research demonstrates that hyperbaric oxygen therapy: How Does It Work? Normally, when you breathe air, the oxygen is picked up in your lungs by your red blood cells and taken throughout your body through your network of arteries. In a hyperbaric chamber, we gently increase the pressure and you breathe 95% pure oxygen. The increased pressure in […]

Hyperbaric Vermont: Your Source For Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy In Vermont ...

September is Healthy Aging Month and reminds us all that having our health is having everything! Keeping ourselves physically fit and eating properly helps to keep disease at bay. When we have poor health habits, we are much more prone to disease and those habits create a greater risk for sickness as we age. Watch Dr. Janet Cellar, DNP from Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center explains what you can do to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Healthy Aging

May is Stroke and Lyme Awareness Month! Learn how HBOT treats both Stroke and Lyme Disease! View research studies and results showing how HBOT improves the healing of the brain in Stroke Patients. Also, read Lindsey’s journey through being diagnosed with Lyme and how she healed herself. Happy Reading! https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?u=11a9e8171ebdb938bfd19b1a8&id=f40cb9ee1c Check out our Research and Resources Page for lots more important information about these two debilitating diseases…..https://hyperbaricvermont.org/research-and-resources/

May is Stroke and Lyme Awareness Month!

  HBOT helps patients with severe depression! Studies suggest that mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly improved anxiety, depression and sleeping quality, increasing the duration from 2 to 3 hours of sleep prior to admission to about 5 hours a night. Sleep deprivation can affect the magnitude of a Parkinson’s patients depression. Learn more about Parkinson’s and how HBOT helps reduce the affects of this debilitating disease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5851727/pdf/medi-97-e0029.pdf Learn more about HBOT and Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Patients with Severe Depression

Studies show that HBOT can reduce the risk of death from heart attack and unstable angina, improve oxygen supply to the heart and may reduce the volume of heart muscle that perishes. A new study shows that it is also helpful for those of us not suffering from acute heart disease as well. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve heart functionality in healthy aging humans, according to a study* by the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’acov. The study, led by Dr. Marina Leitman, Dr. Shmuel Fuchs, Dr. Amir Hadanny, Dr. Zvi Vered and Efrati, was published in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging. Healthy patients receiving HBOT to improve cognitive function underwent a 60-session treatment course using the Sagol Center’s regenerative HBOT protocols. Along with normal aging, there is typically a decrease in cardiac function – particularly in the mitochondrial cells of the heart. Using a high-resolution echocardiography, 31 patients were evaluated before HBOT was administered and three weeks after treatment concluded to identify the sustained effect of the treatment. What the team observed was “an improvement in contractility function of the heart – meaning, the heart muscle contracted more efficiency over the course of the 60-session protocol.  Shai Efrati, co-author and director of […]

How’s Your Heart

Dr. Grace Johnstone and Dr. Seth Osgood at an affiliate training
Hyperbaric Vermont Furthers Mission to Make Life-Changing Treatment Accessible by Welcoming New Affiliate Montpelier and South Burlington, VT (June 11, 2021) Hyperbaric Vermont is pleased to welcome Grassroots Functional Medicine to its Affiliated Provider Network. This new partnership will extend access to affordable hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to the Upper Valley.  The Hyperbaric Vermont Provider training offers physician and staff training to both Affiliated and independent providers who wish to make affordable HBOT available to their patients. Dr. Seth Osgood, Liz Mitchell, NP and staff member Christine Constantine completed the training.  Grassroots Functional Medicine joins Hyperbaric Vermont affiliates Community Hyperbaric in East Hardwick, Blue Skies Hyperbaric in Middlebury, and Gentle Hyperbaric in Brattleboro. Located in West Lebanon, NH, Dr. Seth Osgood founded Grassroots Functional Medicine after struggling for years with chronic health problems that traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals could not resolve. He finally found relief and true healing with a functional medicine approach. Since then he has been helping patients around the world transform their health by getting to the root cause of the symptoms and restoring the body’s natural ability to heal.  Dr. Osgood commented, “I am excited to be adding a new tool to our healing toolbox that […]

GrassRoots Functional Medicine joins as new Affiliated Provider