Covid-19 is a very serious disease that has caused millions of deaths worldwide over the past two years. While the disease itself has only been lethal to about 1% of the population, about 10-30% of people who contract Covid-19 are still suffering with symptoms months later according to the CDC. This has been aptly named “Long-Covid.” The quest to improve these patient’s outcomes has now found a potential solution, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy!
Post-Covid symptoms can last for months after an infection, and include fatigue, headaches, loss of taste or smell, body aches, and reduced neurocognitive capacity (brain fog). This can be extremely frustrating, and can lead to problems at home and at work, as patients are struggling to function at their normal levels of activity.
Several trials have shown that HBOT can improve patient outcomes both during and after infection with Covid-19. The most recent exciting study is a randomized controlled trial that showed HBOT significantly improved neurocognitive outcomes in patients suffering from Post-Covid symptoms. The researchers treated patients at 2.0 ATA for 90 minutes, for forty sessions, and found across the board improvements in brain fog, psychiatric symptoms (anxiety and depression), as well as decreases in reported pain.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy brings about these improvements by providing oxygen saturation levels far in excess of what can be achieved with supplemental oxygen alone. By increasing the atmospheric pressure and oxygen percentage of each breath, saturation levels can exceed 1500%. By consistently undergoing treatment, patients can see improved oxygenation of brain tissue, as well as neuroplasticity (the growth of new neurons) and angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels). The additional benefits of increased stem-cell proliferation and migration along with improved mitochondrial function allows the body to heal at a much faster rate.
We have seen these results firsthand at our Austin area locations, and we are so excited to be able to provide this treatment to our community. If you have questions about treatment, please call us at 512-662-1463, or visit us on the web at atxhyperbarics.com.
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