For the vast majority of patients receiving clinical hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), we set the standard protocol to stay at maximum therapeutic pressure for 60 to 90 minutes.
This time window is sufficient to maximize oxygen saturation in the plasma and stimulate the release of stem cells, while perfectly avoiding the risk of oxygen toxicity.
Of course, from a physical level, humans can indeed stay in the cabin longer—for example, when dealing with emergencies such as decompression sickness or carbon monoxide poisoning, we even extend the treatment time to 5 hours. However, this prolonged treatment must be strictly accompanied by “air blocking” (I. e., intermittent breathing of ordinary air) to prevent oxygen toxicity in the central nervous system (CNS).
If it’s for daily health, wound healing or anti-aging, treatment longer than 90 to 120 minutes usually has a “marginal effect”—that is, you spend more time without increasing the effect, but it is easy to cause fatigue or ear discomfort.
To sum up: if you make an appointment for a treatment, the whole journey (from door to door) is expected to take about 90 minutes, of which the “steady pressure time” under prescription pressure is about 60 minutes.
Standard Clinical Duration
The current 60- to 90-minute program is not a random number, it is based on a large number of gas laws and human physiology research conclusions. In this specific time window, the oxygen saturation of human plasma will reach a peak. You know, the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen is limited, but the ability of plasma to absorb oxygen under pressure is quite amazing.
Studies have shown that 60-90 minutes of exposure to a prescribed pressure is enough to allow tissues to achieve a state of “super oxygenation” and trigger the body’s natural repair mechanisms, such as stem cell release and angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels).
If this is routine treatment, forcibly extending the time does not speed healing. On the contrary, this may disrupt the equilibrium that the body has just established.
Emergency And Decompression Sickness
In certain medical emergency scenarios, patients must stay in the cabin for much longer than 90 minutes.
The most typical cases are acute decompression sickness (DCS, or “diving sickness” as divers call it) or severe carbon monoxide poisoning. In these cases, the Treatment Tables may require up to 5 hours of treatment.
This is high-intensity medical intervention designed to forcibly compress nitrogen bubbles in the blood through physical pressure, or to “squeeze” toxic carbon monoxide out of hemoglobin through competitive binding. Such long-term treatments must be monitored throughout by medical professionals and follow strict schedules like those set by the U.S. Navy.
The Key Role Of “Air Block” In Long-Term Treatment
You may think: since you can stay for 5 hours, why not make it a standard treatment?
The answer is simple: central nervous system (CNS) oxygen toxicity.
Breathing 100 percent pure oxygen in a high-pressure environment for a long time without interruption is toxic to the brain and can even cause seizures in severe cases. In order to prolong the treatment time and ensure safety, our technicians will perform an operation called “Air Breaks.”
The so-called “air block” is to let the patient take off the mask or hood, breathe ordinary indoor air (oxygen content 21%) for 5 to 10 minutes, and then reinhale pure oxygen.
This action is critical, it is equivalent to resetting the body’s “oxygen tolerance clock,” effectively reducing the cumulative toxic load of the central nervous system while retaining the therapeutic benefits of a high-pressure environment.
Why “Longer” For Health Does Not “Better”
For patients looking for general health improvement, anti-aging, or chronic wound healing, I would usually advise not to be greedy. Staying in the cabin for more than the recommended 90 to 120 minutes often outweighs the benefits.
Once the tissue has been saturated with oxygen and the physiological signals released by the stem cells have been activated, the extra time does not bring much benefit. Even, this prolonged exposure can increase the burden on the body.
I have seen many side effects due to “greed”:
- Physical fatigue: our industry sometimes jokingly called “hyperbaric oxygen hangover.” Excessive treatment can make patients feel exhausted instead of energetic.
- Ear discomfort: Being under pressure for a long time can increase the burden on the Eustachian tube, increase the risk of barotrauma, or cause persistent ear pain.
“Full Time” Vs. “Voltage Stabilization Time”
Finally, in order for you to know when you plan your schedule, you need to know the lingo in the clinic.
When the clinic says this is a “90-minute appointment,” this usually refers to the entire process, not just the time you are under maximum stress.
- Pressurization: 10-15 minutes. This is the process by which we slowly pressurize the cabin to the target depth.
- Voltage stabilization time: 60 minutes. This is the real treatment window period, you enjoy the full benefits of oxygen therapy under “prescription pressure.”
- Decompression: 10-15 minutes. After the treatment, we need to slowly relieve the pressure and let the cabin return to normal atmospheric levels.
So, although you spend a total of about 90 minutes in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, in order to balance safety and effectiveness, the real peak treatment exposure time is usually strictly limited to about 1 hour.
Author: Alex Mercer
I am a Certified Hyperbaric Technologist (CHT) with over 12 years of clinical experience in oxygen therapy. My work focuses on optimizing HBOT protocols for safety and efficacy. I am dedicated to helping patients understand the science behind chamber duration and pressure to achieve the best therapeutic outcomes without compromising health.
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