What to Expect

A Breath for Life has a purpose-built multiplace chamber which can comfortably sit 5 people. Typically, you will be sharing the chamber with a few other people.  With this in mind, please avoid using perfumes, aftershaves or other strongly scented products. You can wear normal clothes and please bring an electronic device or book to amuse yourself during the session.

If you have any specific requirements (like wheelchair access or a need for a carer), we are very happy to accommodate but please let us know in advance.

Once you are comfortably sat, the operator will gently increase the pressure. You will feel this with a sensation very similar to that experienced when coming in to land in a commercial aeroplane. Before your session, the operator will show you simple techniques that you will need to use to equalise (or “pop”)  your ears to allow this pressure change. You can eat and drink during a session, and sometimes chewing or sucking a sweet can help you to equalise.

If your ears are uncomfortable, please let the operator know via the intercom. There are a few things that they can do to help you to successfully equalise them.

You will also notice an increase in temperature. There are fans which can be activated to help cool if you need them.

When you reach 10 feet, the operator will come onto an intercom to ask you to put on your mask or hood. This supplies all your respiratory needs with 100% oxygen and is a critical part of the therapy. The mask or hood can be removed at any time, but this will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.

The operator will gradually increase the pressure to the equivalent of 24 to 33 feet (1.75 to 2 ATA) and then remain at this pressure for 1 hour. The pressure reached is at the operator’s discretion. Once at the maximum pressure, you can stop equalising.

If you need to use any medication during your session this is fine. Inhalers, tablets, sprays or any other types of medicine can be used as required.

After the hour, the pressure will be gradually reduced, with a pause at 10 feet to remove masks or hoods. The temperature will cool down during this phase. Sessions take a total of around 1.5 hours.

Due to the risk of fire, please note that any device capable of producing a spark or flame must be left outside the chamber. Similarly, we recommend that car keys are not taken in as they can be activated by the pressure, which can cause their batteries to fail.

We do allow mobile phones, tablets, games and laptops to be used and there is Wi-Fi available. Headphones can also be used.

The attendant will let you know when the treatment is complete, and the pressure will be lowered
slowly, again at a rate comfortable to your ears.

Note: The chamber can actually be decompressed at any time, and while breathing oxygen, you cannot suffer decompression sickness (‘the bends’). Treatment times last one and a half hours, 15 minutes to compress, 1 hour receiving oxygen, and a further 15 minutes to decompress. We recommend an initial course of ten to twenty consecutive treatments depending upon your condition and regular treatments thereafter. We are open seven days a week.

At the dosage used in this treatment there are no side effects from the oxygen. However, the change in pressure may cause some ear or sinus discomfort. Note that HBOT has been used in the NHS for more than 50 years and since 1982 it has also been used in the community. More than 2.5 million sessions have been carried out – 63,489 in the last year – without a single serious problem!