Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): General information and discussion of Home Units

Here is an interesting info for those who want to get a breath training device:

Dr A. Rakhimov, specialist in breathing, has been an individual coach of champion athletes, he has writen numerous books and websites , including some good info about the Samozdrav device (I shared the link some pages ago).
For those who have delivery issues in their country, you can get his book where he explains how do do your own breathing device with simple pieces easy to find in local stores.

You can get it in pdf format or other ones.:

His other books here:

Hope this helps.
 
Hey folks, a separate thread for Samozdrav discussion has been started here:

 
I have done now 24 sessions in a row. My goal was to reach about the magic 30-40 sessions in a row, but the side effects being fatigue most of the time, I will take now 3 days off to see how it goes. At the beginning, it felt like lifting heavy weights in the chamber, where I could barely move, or even after doing sport the muscles did hurt even more. Besides changing joint pain from this to that side. The fatigue, maybe also relaxation, feels like a blanket being on top all the time.

The insulin sensitivity also increased, and I can watch dropping the blood sugar in the chamber. At the beginning, I did some tests with the insulin pump if it withstands the pressure and not that due to the pressure the insulin gets pushed in. It doesn't, and the pump can compensate for it. And in case of an emergency, I have stored something sweet to drink in the chamber.

Sleep also increased and seems most of the time more deeply and skin and wounds are recovering faster, and some skin problems subsided as far as I can tell.
 
I have done now 24 sessions in a row. My goal was to reach about the magic 30-40 sessions in a row, but the side effects being fatigue most of the time, I will take now 3 days off to see how it goes. At the beginning, it felt like lifting heavy weights in the chamber, where I could barely move, or even after doing sport the muscles did hurt even more. Besides changing joint pain from this to that side. The fatigue, maybe also relaxation, feels like a blanket being on top all the time.

The insulin sensitivity also increased, and I can watch dropping the blood sugar in the chamber. At the beginning, I did some tests with the insulin pump if it withstands the pressure and not that due to the pressure the insulin gets pushed in. It doesn't, and the pump can compensate for it. And in case of an emergency, I have stored something sweet to drink in the chamber.

Sleep also increased and seems most of the time more deeply and skin and wounds are recovering faster, and some skin problems subsided as far as I can tell.

Well, I didn't feel like 40 sessions was a magic number. It was way more than that for me!

I've had to take a break for the past two weeks due to 1) having a blood clot that needed treating and then, 2) getting a head cold that is still hanging on a bit. But, come hell or high water, I'm back in the chamber on Monday! I miss it.
 
Pressure and altitude
As mentioned earlier, there is more oxygen at the level of the Dead Sea. In this post, I will try to find out what altitude can mean for the oxygen content and raise questions about how the hyperbaric chamber might work at altitude.

The Dead Sea Wiki has:
The Dead Sea has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with year-round sunny skies and dry air. It has less than 50 millimetres (2 in) mean annual rainfall and a summer average temperature between 32 and 39 °C (90 and 102 °F). Winter average temperatures range between 20 and 23 °C (68 and 73 °F). [...]
Given the higher atmospheric pressure, the air has a slightly higher oxygen content (3.3% in summer to 4.8% in winter) as compared to oxygen concentration at sea level.[27][28] Barometric pressures at the Dead Sea were measured between 1061 and 1065 hPa and clinically compared with health effects at higher altitude.[29]
For comparison, the air pressure at sea level is 1013 hPa

Below is one article abstract and three similar studies:
Israel Journal of Medical Science
. 1996 Jul; 32 Suppl: S20-3.
Dead Sea: natural oxygen enrichment at low altitude
M R Kramer 1, S Godfrey
  • PMID: 8756971
Abstract
Patients with advanced chronic obstructive lung disease often require oxygen supplementation, which has been shown to increase survival but requires a device such as an oxygen tank and tubing. The inspired partial pressure of oxygen depends on barometric pressure, which is related directly to altitude. At the Dead Sea, located 402 m below sea level, the barometric pressure reaches 800 mm Hg, thus resulting in high inspired oxygen levels. We have taken this topographic advantage to study oxygen-dependent patients with advanced lung disease. We found significant increases in arterial oxygen tension, exercise capacity, sleep oxygen saturation, and an improvement in quality of life while staying at the Dead Sea. This was found during both a short stay (1 week) as well as a longer stay (3 weeks). The improvement in exercise capacity persisted 2-3 weeks after leaving the area. We conclude that the low altitude at the Dead Sea can be of benefit to patients with advanced lung disease who are hypoxemic. The higher the altitude of the normal residence of the patient, the greater is the expected benefit of a sojourn at the Dead Sea.

Similar articles
This point in the Wiki needs an explanation, and the source has:
Located 400 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea area has the world's
highest terrestrial barometric pressure resulting in 3.3%-4.8% (maximum in winter and minimum in summer) higher oxygen density than the air at sea level.
If the pressure varies only between 1061 hPa and 1065 hPa it does not explain a drop of 1.5% from 4.8% to 3.3% between winter and summer. If the base is 1013 hPa, then the air is between 48 and 52 hPa more pressurized which is 4.7 to 5.1 % more, so why is there only 3.3 % more in summer?

The principle can be experienced by taking an empty and dry, closed plastic bottle at a room temperature of say 20 degrees and put it into the fridge. After a few minutes, the pressure from the atmosphere will squeeze the bottle a bit, because the pressure inside had dropped. But the amount of air inside is the same, so it will take up less space, and this can only be because the air is more heavy per volume. Similarly, if we then take the bottle and expose it to a hot summer sun, or a temperature higher than in the room, like just above a radiator, then the empty and closed bottle will tend to become a little more round corresponding to a larger volume. If we open the bottle, air trapped inside will escape, because the pressure had increased.

Effect of the temperature on the density of air from the Wiki:
Celsius
temperature
θ (°C)
Density
of air
ρ (kg/m3)
351.1455
301.1644
251.1839
201.2041
151.2250
101.2466
If we take 15 degrees Celsius as a baseline, (1.2250 kg/m3) then there is 0.0795 kg/m3 or 6.5% less air at 35 degrees Celsius and one atmosphere of pressure than at 15 degrees Celsius.
If the baseline is 20 degrees (1.2041 kg/m2), then there is 0.0586 kg/m3 or close to 5 % less air in one volume of dry air at 35 degrees Celsius than at 20 degrees.

Variation of oxygen due to water vapour pressure
At one station, 390 m below, the Dead Sea Wiki shows that in January the mean temperature is 16.6 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 41 % while in July it is 34.7 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 24 %. From these data, one can find the dew points. Using the Dew Point Calculator from www.calculator.net

For the average conditions in January, the dew point temperature is 3.3 degrees Celsius.
For the average conditions in July, the dew point temperature is 11.1 degrees Celsius.
In a table, one can find the vapour pressure of water.
T, °CT, °FP, kPaP, atm
0320.61130.0060
5410.87260.0086
10501.22810.0121
15591.70560.0168
20682.33880.0231
25773.16900.0313
30864.24550.0419
35955.62670.0555
401047.38140.0728
The contribution of the water vapour to the atmospheric pressure is roughly 0.7-0.8 % at 3 degrees and 1.3 % at 11 degrees, corresponding to a 0.5% higher contribution from water vapour to the atmospheric pressure during summer. But if one had lived in an area with high humidity during a warm period, then the part of the air pressure from water will be higher, the amount of dry air less, which again would mean even less oxygen.

Taken together, there should be less oxygen in the summer due to higher air pressure contribution from the water vapour and due to lower air density per volume of air at higher temperatures. However, it is probably more complex as the air we breathe in is heated up, just as moisture is added at some stage. Still the evaluation point to the same conclusion that the oxygen concentration is higher

If the Dead Sea with only 3-5 % more oxygen can make a difference for some patients just because the altitude is only 400 meters below, what are the consequences for other locations? When one moves up, the content of oxygen decreases.

Altitude to oxygen chart
Here are some of the numbers:
ALTITUDE (FEET)ALTITUDE (METERS)EFFECTIVE OXYGEN %SIMILAR LOCATION
0 - Sea Level0 - Sea Level20.9%Hypoxico HQ, NY
1,00030520.1%Tbilisi, Georgia
2,00061019.4%Canberra, Australia
3,00091418.6%Chamonix, France
4,000121917.9%Salt Lake City, UT
5,000152417.3%Boulder, CO
6,000182916.6%Stanley, ID
7,000213416%Flagstaff, AZ
8,000243815.4%Aspen, CO
9,000274314.8%Bogota, Colombia
10,000304814.3%Leadville, CO
11,000335313.7%Cusco, Peru
12,000365813.2%La Paz, Bolivia
In spite of some of the number being low, the human body also compensates, but how much? Is it really better to live at sea level?

How does the hyperbaric chamber work at high altitudes?
I still don't know, but one consideration is the strength of the material and the stress it is exposed to when in use. If the hyperbaric chamber reaches 1.5, is it atm in objective terms? Or is it 1.5 of whatever the surroundings have to offer? Or is it whatever the pressure is plus 0.5 atm?

Here are a few other altitude pressure numbers, assuming a sea level pressure of 1013.25 hPA or 1 atm at 20 degrees using this calculator.

At an altitude of 1000 meters, the pressure is 902.92 hPa, at 2000 meters 806.59 hPa, at 3000 meters 722.25 hPa. If the hyperbaric chamber increases to 1.5 of whatever the altitude offers, then at 3000 meters you will get to 1.083,375 hPa or 1.07 atm, but if it is 0.5 atm plus whatever then it would be 0.7128 atm plus 0.5 atm=1.21 atm.

Imagine doing a hyperbaric session at 4000 meters like in the Andes or Himalayas, where the pressure is just 648.2hPa = 0.6397 atm. This would create an overpressure of around 0.86 atm if the chamber could really reach 1.5 atm at such altitudes. I doubt the material would tolerate such stress.

Does anyone who has a hyperbaric chamber at a noticeable altitude have a pressure gauge that can measure the pressure inside the chamber when in use?
 
As of today, Ark and I have done 209 sessions in the HBOT chamber. We were off for about three weeks due to illness. I'd have to check the calendar to know the exact number, but I'm pretty sure we've done about 35 to 40 sessions at 2.0 ATA while all the others were at 1.5. Do I notice any difference? Not really. But that's not saying there isn't one, if only just mild acceleration of processes (whatever they are).

The neuropathy of my left leg (all the way to my foot) appears to be completely resolved. The interesting thing about this leg was the appearance of a seemingly sudden and very painful blood clot over the shin bone. Actually, that area was very sensitive and even painful for a long time, so I suspect that there was blockage there for quite some time. It seems to have just moved up and coalesced all of a sudden which required a series of anti-coagulant injections to dissolve. However, what happened AFTER was most interesting. For quite a few years now, I've had a big, ugly, varicose vein crossing over my shinbone in that area. As soon as the clot began to dissolve with the injections, the vein just went away. Gonzerooni. No sign of a varicose vein on my leg anymore. They may be inside my leg, and visible to a doppler or something, but the really ugly one that was associated with that painful area is gone. Further, the mess of veins that covered the top of my foot making it look black, appear to be resolving into distinct, regular looking veins.

So, I don't really know what happened there, but something was building for a long time before HBOT, and then reached a crisis or something as a result of HBOT, and now my leg feels better than ever. Were there a lot of tiny little clots all around that area, blocking veins and causing them to back up and bulge? And then, were they all precipitated into one main clot (small though it was), which then required treatment, and now it's cleared and things are continuing to sort themselves out there? The doctor was pretty thorough with the doppler thingy and searched both my legs for any other signs of clots and found nothing else.

If things are moving along like that in my leg, where I can partly observe the activity, then I suspect similar things are going on in the rest of my body.

My skin continues to improve very slowly. But it is definitely improving. My hearing is still deteriorated and my cataracts are continuing though no dramatic deterioration. But, I didn't expect HBOT to help that. It does seem to have helped Ark's macular degeneration and he claims his eyes are better.

My fingernails seem to be much better than before. No more curving around the end of my finger and lines and ridges are lessening. The annoying vertical cracking is resolving.

I sleep very well and one of the most striking things I have noticed has been the return of long, involved, active dream cycles.

These are just the things I can notice. What is going on inside remains to be determined (if possible).

Ark and I took a break from gym activity while we were sick with the head cold, but we are back on our schedule now. We didn't lose much, but boy, it was painful to restart! Sore muscles!
 
After about 90 sessions in HBOT and few months of dedicated pranayama work i am noticing benefits on many levels.
This reminds me of one of the tenets of Traditional Chinese Medicine according to which lungs are literally most important organ in the body and regular exercising the lungs is perhaps more important than any other exercise:

"The Jing ( prenatal life force we are given at birth) , the essence of the five Zang and six Fu ( these are all vital organs that are divided into Zang and Fu according to their Yin or Yang polarity - they also form couples - eg, Lung is the wife of Large Intestine, Liver the wife of Gall Bladder, heart the wife of Small intestine etc. ) the twelve Channels and Collaterals, all converge in the eyes, while all Marrow (in TCM marrow refers to Nervous System) converges in the Brain. All the tendons connect the bones and joints. All the Blood and Body Fluids are controlled by the Heart, all the Qi by the Lungs. The four extremities and twelve joints are the highways of the Channels, Marrow, Tendons, Blood and Qi.

The Liver stores Blood. During the day the Liver provides the Blood for movement activities, so that the Blood can circulate throughout the Channels and Collaterals. At night, when one sleeps, the Blood returns to the Liver. When the Liver is nourished by the Blood, one can see. When the feet are perfused with Blood, one can walk. When the hands are nourished by Blood, they can grasp. When the fingers are provided with Blood, one can carry.

All disorders can be atributed to the Blood and Qi not arriving at certain streams and valleys and caves (an analogy of Acupoints). Then, the pathogenic Wind has an opportunity to invade and cause Bi/obstruction syndrome and spasms"...The Yellow Emperor Classic of Medicine.

Blood and Stem Cells repair, the Holographic concept of Twelve Joints, Qi and Blood Stagnation
 
More air bubbles, and in water, here are two articles to read in depth!

Professor spends 100 days underwater to see if diving makes you live longer
Dituri said: ‘I designed this study on the traumatic brain injury healing power of pressure. The air pressure down here is exactly the pressure I treat patients on the surface. We know it increases stem cells. At the depth I’m at, you get at least twice the number of circulating stem cells if you only do it for five days.’


It has already been established that telomeres – part of the DNA that protects our chromosomes – are increased in length by as much as 33 per cent during hyperbaric therapy sessions. Dituri believes living under pressure co

What Happens To A Human Who Spends A Month Under The Sea?
On June 1st, Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau, swam down to the last existing undersea habitat research lab in the world, Aquarius, in the Florida Keys. He’ll live there for 31 days, which is a day longer than the time his grandfather’s team spent living in his undersea habitat, Conshelf II, roughly 50 years ago. Since then, undersea bases have been created all over the world, and have since lost their funding and ceased operation. Aquarius stands as the last.
 
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For those still thinking about getting their own hbot. Macypan have an offer this month (April). Hard shell is down from $24k USD to $15K USD and the larger soft shell (now with oversized viewing window) is down from 5100 USD to 3100 USD (and that's before the additional group discount we've been getting). See attached pdf for more.
 

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For those still thinking about getting their own hbot. Macypan have an offer this month (April). Hard shell is down from $24k USD to $15K USD and the larger soft shell (now with oversized viewing window) is down from 5100 USD to 3100 USD (and that's before the additional group discount we've been getting). See attached pdf for more.
How is your experience with hard shell? I am assuming you are using normal oxygen concentrator- does the flow suffer a lot with increased pressure?
 
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