Hyperbaric Oxygen for Post-COVID Symptoms
Numerous studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygen can improve the symptoms now categorized as “post-COVID longhauler” or “long COVID”.
What is long COVID?
John Hopkins medicine defines long COVID as COVID symptoms “that persistent or return three months after a person becomes ill” and includes symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive problems.
Hyperbaric oxygen may help to improve the increased inflammatory response associated with covid, as well as provide oxygen to tissues that have been oxygen deprived, in part, due to the inflammation; one study shows.
Symptom resolution in our patients
We have seen long COVID patients in our clinic since 2020 and have treated more than 100 patients, alleviating symptoms they never thought would go away.
“I came to Healing with Hyperbarics after suffering a year of post Covid Headaches and long-haul symptoms of high blood pressure, brain fog, fatigue, no stamina, and cognitive-short term memory issues. I had tried physical therapy as that is what my primary doctor suggested that would maybe help, otherwise the next stop was Mayo… I have been able to come off my BP medication (which was the culprit of my headaches), I feel much more alert, have more energy and stamina, and cognitively able to adjust better at work and home.”
For this patient, long-haul symptoms varied significantly from cognitive symptoms like brain fog and memory issues, to autonomic symptoms like high blood pressure. This symptom variety is common post-covid and symptoms may feel like they are all over the place. We categorize symptoms into 4 categories: cognitive, emotional, sleep, and pain.
In a recent review of the patients we treated for long COVID, we found significant improvements in patients with brain fog, fatigue, headaches, and loss of taste and smell.
80% of patients had partial or full resolution of brain fog and/or difficulty concentrating *.
63% of patients had improvements in their fatigue (ranging from some symptom resolution to fully resolved) *.
85% of patients who had shortness of breath post-COVID noticed improvement with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Shortness of breath included at rest or upon exertion. Improvement ranged from some benefits to complete resolution of the shortness of breath.
88% of post-COVID patients had improvements in their headaches, with the majority (62%) having complete headache resolution.
86% of patients had an increase in their lack of smell with treatments, with many (57%) regaining full sense of smell.
87% of patients with a loss of taste reported improvements in their taste after treatments with 60% regaining full taste.
*many patients only completed one hyperbaric oxygen treatment, which does not follow our recommended treatment plan. We have not seen great symptom resolution with just one treatment.
What does treatment look like?
Patients with long COVID typically complete 5-10 hyperbaric treatments. Everyone is different and responds differently to treatment, so more or fewer treatments may be best for you. We have seen consistent treatment is best, so daily (or even multiple times a day!) is the best treatment plan.
We put together our most commonly asked questions about treatments, check it out here!