Serenity and Fire with Krista

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Explained: The Healing Power of Pressurized Oxygen

• Krista Guagenti

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Welcome back to Serenity and Fire—I’m Krista Guagenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique, and today we’re diving into one of the most powerful healing tools we offer: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

If you’ve never heard of it—or if you’ve heard the hype but aren’t sure what it actually does—this episode is for you.

I’m breaking down everything you need to know about how it works, who it’s for, and why I call it the holy grail of healing. From fertility support to cancer recovery, anti-aging to athletic performance, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the most transformative treatments we’ve ever brought to Panacea.

You’ll learn:

  • What hyperbaric oxygen therapy actually is—and how it works
  • How it supports healing from the inside out
  • Its benefits for brain health, inflammation, fertility, and more
  • Why we specifically chose mild hyperbaric chambers for safety and effectiveness
  • What to expect before, during, and after your session
  • Real results we’ve seen from clients (and my own experience)

Whether you're looking to boost energy, recover faster, or support deeper healing—this episode is a must-listen. Oxygen is powerful, and this therapy might just be the missing piece in your wellness journey.

💚 SPECIAL OFFER:
Curious to try Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Panacea? Use code SERENITY10 at checkout to get 10% off your first treatment. Call 614-324-7777 or book online at www.panacealuxuryspa.com to schedule.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Serenity and Fire, the podcast where wellness meets grit. I'm your host, krista Guagenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. Join me as we dive into the intriguing world of biohacking, clean living, cutting edge spa trends and the hustle, grind and grit of entrepreneurship. From my personal battles with weight management, infertility and a 30-year journey to create and launch my dream business to building a sanctuary for those who have been touched by cancer, I'm here to share real talk, inspire big dreams and spark a passion for holistic living inside each and every one of you. So let's dive in. Welcome back to Serenity and Fire.

Speaker 1:

Today, we're diving deeper into one of the most transformative treatments that we offer at Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. It also happens to be one of my favorite treatments because, when it comes to healing the body from the inside out, I believe this treatment provides the most benefit, and that is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, also commonly known as HBOT or HBOT. If you're wondering what HBOT is, how it works and why it's a game changer for wellness, we're going to cover all of that and by the end of this episode, you'll understand how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can heal the body from the inside out, support everything from fertility to cancer recovery, and why it's a cornerstone of our mission at Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique to empower people to take control of their health. So what exactly is hyperbaric oxygen therapy? Hvac is the delivery of oxygen under pressure. In other words, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we're increasing the amount of oxygen that we breathe in while also increasing the levels of atmospheric pressure. When we do this, this increases the amount of oxygen in our blood. This is a process called hyperoxia. When we have these higher levels of oxygen in the blood, it allows for improved oxygen delivery to hypoxic tissues or tissues that are not getting enough oxygen at baseline. Additionally, having times of alternating hyperoxia and hypoxia promotes the growth of new blood vessels in the hypoxic tissues, a process known as neovascularization Between hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions, tissues that are chronically oxygen deprived due to things like injury, poor blood flow and radiation damage, to name a few. Those tissues will return to their hypoxic states after hyperbaric oxygen therapy, but when you have repeat HBOT sessions, you create those fluctuations between hyperoxia and hypoxia, which forms new blood vessels in those hypoxic tissues and therefore improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to those areas over time. Hyperoxia also enhances the body's ability to kill certain bacterias, so it does create a bacteriostatic environment.

Speaker 1:

Under normal conditions we all function at normal sea levels, and at sea levels we breathe in about 21% oxygen. In some areas like Colorado, where they have higher altitudes, they breathe in a little bit less oxygen. But in general we all need this amount of oxygen to function daily. Our red blood cells carry oxygen throughout our bodies and delivers that oxygen to our tissues, muscles, organs and bones so we can function and heal. But when we have health issues or we are exposed to factors that break down our bodies, like stress, toxins, aging, injuries, the amount of oxygen reaching our cells and tissues is limited. Pressure actually drives oxygen into our red blood cells and also into the liquid or the plasma of our bloodstream, which is necessary in order for oxygen to penetrate deep into our tissues. And water is heavy. So when we do hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we're basically simulating a scuba dive where we can take you down to deeper levels of atmospheric pressures and, believe it or not, our plasma actually has very little oxygen in it at sea level. So the only way to get more oxygen into that liquid is by putting more pressure into the body or simulating the pressure you would feel under seawater. With hyperbaric oxygen therapy we're also increasing the development of something called erythropoietin. This is a hormone that's secreted by your kidneys that signals bone marrow to produce more red blood cells in circulation. And we care about increasing the number of red blood cells because the more oxygen we have, the more energy we can produce for a longer period of time. Oxygen is also needed by our mitochondria in order to make energy, so when you run out of oxygen, your body does not make energy very effectively. With hyperbaric oxygen therapy we're putting up to 1200% more oxygen into our bodies when we're using a chamber that's at 2.4 atmospheric pressure, that's about 45 feet of seawater pressure on your body.

Speaker 1:

You'll hear people talking about various pressure levels in chambers that can go up to 2.5 and even 3.0 atmospheric pressures, and some that go down as low as 1.3 atmospheric pressures. The higher pressure chambers like the 2.5 and the 3.0 chambers are typically only seen in hospitals where they're treating severe burns or wound victims. These chambers come with a lot more risk and precautions that go along with them. They also typically supply 100% compressed oxygen, which can also pose increased safety concerns for fire and oxygen toxicity. Pure oxygen is actually extremely flammable and high-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves managing the risks of explosion and oxygen toxicity. Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is what we have at Panacea, has no known safety risks with fire or toxicity and because our chambers deliver 93 to 95 percent compressed oxygen instead of 100 percent at those pressures of 1.5 atmospheric pressures, our risks of explosions, fires or oxygen toxicity is highly unlikely. We also chose to have chambers that are 1.5 atmospheric pressures and at the 93 to 95% compressed oxygen levels because we believe that those chambers provide the best balance between therapeutic benefits and effectiveness and safety. This pressure level also allows for increased oxygen delivery to tissues and promotes healing while minimizing the risk of that oxygen toxicity and other complications associated with those higher pressure chambers. It also provides more therapeutic benefit over chambers that provide lowered pressures.

Speaker 1:

So picture this you're lying in a cozy, pressurized chamber giving your cells a supercharged oxygen boost far beyond what you could ever get from breathing normal air. That's hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a nutshell, and at Panacea we call it the holy grail of healing because it works from the inside out, helping your body repair, regenerate and thrive. And when you pair it with synergistic biohacks like hydrogen water, cold plunging or LED lightbed therapy, the benefits are even further compounded. So let's break down how hyperbaric oxygen therapy works. Every day, your body consumes about 550 liters of oxygen. That's more than a liter of water or two kilos of food. Oxygen fuels 90% of your energy and your brain alone uses 25% of that oxygen to keep you sharp.

Speaker 1:

When tissues don't get enough oxygen or, as we just learned, when they are hypoxic, it can lead to inflammation, infections or even tissue damage. Hbot fixes that by flooding your blood, plasma and even cerebral spinal fluid with oxygen. Under pressure, this extra oxygen dissolves directly into your body's fluids, reaching cells, tissues and organs that need it the most. Within minutes, your tissue oxygen levels soar, stimulating healing in ways that are almost miraculous. For example, when tissue is injured, say from a wound or surgery or radiation, it craves more oxygen to survive. Hbot delivers that and more, encouraging normal oxygen levels even after your session ends. It's like giving your body a healing superpower, and with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we are literally flooding ourselves with oxygen. And we do this because we know disease hates oxygen and our cells thrive on it. We also know that many diseases and health conditions cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment. Like I mentioned earlier, oxygen is bacteriostatic, meaning it creates an environment where harmful bacteria struggle to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also reduces inflammation and, as you know from my previous podcast episode, I believe inflammation is the root to all evil because it is the precursor to so many health conditions, from autoimmune diseases to chronic pain.

Speaker 1:

Hbot regenerates new cells, repairs damaged ones and boosts mitochondrial activity. H-bot even stimulates the development of stem cells and growth factors. It enhances detoxification, significantly increases metabolism and it can lengthen and repair telomeres. In people who are elderly and in those who have significant health conditions like diabetes, ms, parkinson's, cancer, we find that their telomeres are shortened and damaged. Telomeres are like the caps on the ends of your chromosomes that protect us from DNA damage, and you can kind of think of them like the plastic caps on the ends of your shoestrings. So when we get a new pair of shoes, those caps on the ends of the strings are nice and crisp and we can thread our shoestrings really easily. But over time, as we continue to wear our shoes, those plastic caps start to get brittle and break down and the shoestrings start to fray. And this is the same thing that we see with our telomeres as we start to age. And this is what we also see in people who have significant diseases and other health conditions and what the lab data tells us is that with consistent hyperbaric oxygen therapy, these telomeres are lengthened and repaired almost back to their natural healthy states, and there are actually very few other treatments that we know of that can actually extend telomere length.

Speaker 1:

So hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help with things like joint pain, inflammation, edema, muscle recovery. It can increase, like we said, oxygenation to the tissue, so it's going to help promote healing after surgery. It can help boost immunity and enhance recovery from even radiation therapy. It's also great for people who suffer from migraines, cluster headaches, even long COVID symptoms, autism, orthopedic rehabilitation, crush injuries, diabetes, neuropathy and even sleep disorders, and it can increase our serotonin and dopamine levels. So for people who struggle with depression, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can definitely be a game changer for them. Hyperbaric therapy can boost collagen and elastin. So it is incredible for anti-aging, and we actually follow a protocol out of Finland where the participants used hyperbaric oxygen therapy three times a week for three months and it increased their life expectancy by 10 years. And I don't know about you, but I will definitely take all of those anti-aging benefits wherever I can get them.

Speaker 1:

Hyperbaric therapy is also one of the best treatments for wound healing, and it's one of the only known treatments that can cure cystitis in the bladder, which is a bladder inflammation disorder, and some hospitals in the area actually charge up to $3,500 a treatment just for this condition. We're going to talk about pricing at Panacea for this, but I can tell you that it's much more accessible and much more affordable through our facility. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also has so many brain healing benefits, so it can provide a lot of relief for people who suffer from symptoms of traumatic brain injuries, parkinson's and dementia. And we've actually seen hyperbaric oxygen therapy bring back functionality for people who have experienced left side paralysis and speech slurring after they've had a stroke. We've even seen in children who have almost drowned and have lost the ability to walk or talk or even use the bathroom on their own. We've seen them regain full functionality just by having hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments.

Speaker 1:

And one of the reasons why I personally love hyperbaric oxygen therapy so much, and the main reason why we even brought it to Panacea, is because of its benefits for cancer patients. Cancer cells in hypoxic environments are often resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Hbot can actually increase oxygen in these areas, making the cancer cells more susceptible to those treatments. High levels of oxygen can also enhance the immune system's ability to fight cancer by stimulating the production and activity of immune cells that attack cancer, and there's now an overwhelming amount of evidence and data showing that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can actually stop progression of cancer cell development in conjunction with treatment. Since we have a specialty focus on oncology therapeutics at Panacea, this is something that's super important to me. While hyperbaric oxygen therapy doesn't cure cancer, it supports recovery from radiation therapy, reduces inflammation, boosts overall vitality for those navigating treatment and provides all those other benefits that we just talked about. And I feel like, if there's even a tiny opportunity, that we can stop progression of cancer cell or even do more than that with this treatment. We had to have this therapy in the spa, and that's why we brought hyperbaric oxygen therapy to Panacea.

Speaker 1:

And in addition to all of these wonderful benefits, we're seeing lots of research showing that there are benefits for men and women who are suffering from infertility issues. And if you do hyperbaric oxygen therapy with LED light bed therapy or combine it with other biohacks like hydrogen therapy, the benefits are even more compounded. So let's talk a little bit about the benefits in fertility, which, as you all know, that's something very close to my heart, and what we're seeing is that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be a noninvasive game changer for people who are struggling with fertility. It increases blood flow to the reproductive system. It promotes new blood vessels and reduces inflammation. It can improve endometrial thickness, reduce uterine scarring and enhance ovarian function for better egg quality. For men, it can boost sperm motility, improve erectile function and even repair damage from cancer treatments. Small changes like this can potentially make a big difference for couples who are on that fertility journey.

Speaker 1:

And, as I mentioned earlier, hyperbaric therapy provides so many benefits when it comes to brain health and for conditions like dementia. It can even stop progression or reverse symptoms in some cases, especially for vascular or diabetic dementia. Studies like those by Dr Niebauer showed that over 80% of dementia patients saw significant benefits from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, especially when combined with supplements like magnesium, threonate and nitric oxide boosters like L-citrulline. And the interesting thing about that study is that Dr Niebauer actually set out to look at the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on Alzheimer's patients. But as he got further into the assessments he realized that the majority of the patients in that study who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's actually had vascular or diabetic dementia and not true Alzheimer's, but the benefits from diabetic dementia and not true Alzheimer's, but the benefits from hyperbaric oxygen therapy were really incredible.

Speaker 1:

We see hyperbaric oxygen therapy, like I mentioned earlier, being used for TBIs, ptsd, migraines and even autism, helping relieve symptoms by oxygenating the brain tissues. And for our athletes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a dream for recovery. It speeds up healing for muscles, injuries and post-surgical recovery. It reduces fatigue and it also boosts energy. We offer an athletic recovery package at Panacea that combines hyperbaric oxygen therapy with massage and LED light therapy for maximum impact. So you definitely need to check that out if you're an athlete.

Speaker 1:

So what should you expect when having a hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment? What does it actually feel like when you're in the chamber? So at Panacea our chambers are actually hard shell chambers with a glass door so you can see out into the hyperbaric suite. The chambers are actually quite roomy. They're a little over seven feet long and they have plenty of room to fit most clients. We've even had many large athletes come and use the therapy and they have plenty of room to fit most clients. We've even had many large athletes come and use the therapy and they fit into the chambers just fine. We infuse 93 to 95% oxygen, as I had mentioned earlier, into a mask that you wear over your mouth and your nose. And inside the chamber we have comfy pillows, a blanket in case you get chilly, a fan in case you get too warm. We also offer you a weighted eye pillow if you want to block out all of the light and doze off and take a nice comfy nap.

Speaker 1:

As you descend down to the one and a half atmospheric pressure, your ears will typically pop. I always tell people it's a lot like going up and down in an airplane, so as you ascend into the air, your ears are going to pop, and as you descend, when you're landing, your ears typically usually pop a little bit. Then too, the same thing happens when you're in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber because of the changes in pressure. So I always advise clients to just do all the things that they would typically do whenever they are flying in a plane so swallow, weave your jaw around, yawn all of those types of things, and that usually will clear the ear popping without any issues. Clients can chew gum if they like, but you cannot take water or food into the chambers. Once we get to that full one and a half atmospheric pressure, the ear popping normally completely stops and then you just coast through the rest of the treatment. After the treatment is finished, which is typically about 60 to 90 minutes, the chamber will appear to shut off, but at that point we're actually starting to do your decompression. I usually tell clients to go ahead and take off the mask at that point and just continue to relax, because the decompression takes about seven to ten minutes. Your ears again will likely start popping as we start decompressing, but that usually subsides once we get back to normal pressure levels.

Speaker 1:

When you're in the chamber, you don't have to lay flat or be super stiff as a board. You can roll over on your side, put a pillow under your knees, move around, put a blanket on. You, do whatever it takes to feel comfortable. The only thing you really need to do is just make sure that you keep that mask on until we get to the decompression part of the treatment. When you're in the chamber, the clients can actually talk to me. There's a little button inside that they can hit that calls me on a phone outside of the chamber, so we can talk through the whole treatment if necessary, although I will say most people tend to like to doze off. Or you can take a phone or an iPad in so you can listen to a podcast, read a book, listen to a meditation. Those are all things that I advise.

Speaker 1:

I always tell people to like try not to be on social media, try not to work while you're in there. Really take the time to completely disconnect and decompress, because I do find that people tend to have much better results when they do try to really get into that relaxation mode. There's also a light inside the chamber that you can turn on or off and control yourself. So if you do want to take a book in, you can easily read that. Or, like I said, if you want to just completely relax, you can shut that light off, put that weighted eye pillow over your eyes and just fall into a deep sleep.

Speaker 1:

We're in the room the whole entire time throughout the treatment, throughout the service. We'll typically check in on you whenever we do adjustments to the pressure levels in order to make sure that you're still feeling comfortable and that everything is okay. If we see you sleeping or you have the eye pillow over your eyes, we'll know that everything is just fine and we'll just let you relax in that state, if the ear popping ever gets too intense throughout the treatment. We can control how fast or slow we compress or decompress, so we can just make little adjustments in those pressure levels to help minimize the intensity of that ear popping. And, like I said, once you get to full pressure, all of that ear popping typically subsides. I typically do hyperbaric oxygen therapy two to three times a week myself, and so I have those pressure levels really dialed in and we find that most clients do perfectly fine with them.

Speaker 1:

Now that we've gone over what to expect when you're in the chamber, let's talk about what you might feel after your treatment. A lot of clients report that they feel much better mental clarity and focus in the days following their treatments. That is definitely something that I experience when I do treatment and since hyperbaric oxygen therapy can significantly increase your metabolism, most people do tend to feel super hungry after their treatments, and sometimes clients can even tend to feel a little bit lethargic after their first few therapies, and that's because those metabolism increases affect your body similarly to how a long run might affect your body. So feeling tired is perfectly normal, especially when it's your first few treatments, once your body starts getting used to the physiological changes that occur when you're having hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Those feelings of lethargy typically tend to go away over time.

Speaker 1:

So for me, when I do treatments, I not only feel more energized and hungry, but I also tend to struggle with allergies and sinus issues, and so what I found with hyperbaric oxygen therapy is that it not only helps me breathe better, but it allows me to take bigger, fuller, deeper breaths, which is something that before hyperbaric oxygen therapy I struggled with on a regular basis. So definitely better breathing. I also noticed visible improvements in our clients' complexions almost immediately after they get out of the chamber, and a lot of my clients have reported to me that they notice changes in their skin, usually a few days after they've had treatment, and they do report that that persists over time. And it makes sense because we're boosting collagen and elastin, which is part of what's contributing to some of those anti-aging benefits, and because it is a bacteriostatic environment for those who suffer from acne or other skin conditions, it can definitely be helpful for that too. We actually have a client who comes into the spa who suffers from mold poisoning and she was really struggling with breathing and just other lung conditions. She's also a hairstylist, so obviously the fumes from doing hair can cause other issues for her that are only compounded by the mold poisoning, and she swears to the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and what the difference has been for her by having these treatments and when it comes to just her overall breathing and just clearing up her lungs. So it offers tons of amazing benefits and, on top of all of those things, it also detoxifies the body. Since it does that, clients may feel increased elimination after their treatments.

Speaker 1:

So it's very important to make sure that you're staying super hydrated. I typically recommend to clients that they make sure they're drinking plenty of water, usually around that 80 to 120 ounces a day. If there's someone who drinks a lot of water usually around that 80 to 120 ounces a day If there's someone who drinks a lot of water, normally they may find that they need to drink a little bit more, and we also do recommend that they try to get some electrolytes in as well to help increase their hydration. So how many treatments will you need in order to start feeling the effects of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy? And the answer to that really just depends on what you're coming in for. It's a little bit different for everybody, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a holistic therapy so, like any other holistic modality, the more you do, the more your body is going to benefit over time.

Speaker 1:

That said, if you're someone who is actively battling a highly symptomatic condition, you'll likely feel improvements much faster than someone who is generally healthy and who is using hyperbaric oxygen therapy preventatively or for just general overall health, well-being and anti-aging. If you had a brain injury or a cognitive issue, you might feel immediate improvements because of the increases in oxygen throughout the body, which creates a significant increase in energy and a release of fatigue that goes along with those types of injuries. But if you have a lot of inflammation, cellular debris, garbage and oxidative stress all the things that we've been talking about in our recent episodes you might not have enough antioxidants in your body to eliminate all of those things that are causing that sluggishness and inflammation, and so it may take a little bit longer for you to start experiencing some of those benefits. Similarly, if you're someone who is experiencing an acute condition, like an acute heart attack, stroke, brain or spinal cord injury or even burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc. We know that hyperbaric oxygen therapy will provide immediate shifts and save tissues because of the increased oxygen circulation in the body. Of course, hyperbaric oxygen therapy cannot be done until it is safe and stable for clients with those types of traumas and injuries to come into the chambers.

Speaker 1:

But those acute clients will likely notice an improvement in symptoms much faster than someone who has more chronic issues or who is looking for improvements over the long term. And that's typically the case for most people who are coming in to use hyperbaric oxygen therapy. And in those instances we're looking for more long-term shifts and improvements in the body. Where we're releasing more stem cells, we're growing more blood vessels, making new connective tissues throughout the body and our brains, our hearts and other organs. We are shifting and recalibrating our entire physiological system, and those things take time. So anything that is a wound, has inflammation, has hypoxia, needs stem cells or is an infection, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is most likely going to help you pretty immediately. But if you don't have any of those things or any of those acute needs, but you want long-term optimization of your brain, your heart and the other organs throughout your body, including our reproductive organs, you're looking at adopting hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a lifestyle modification.

Speaker 1:

Some other areas where you might notice immediate improvements is if you have jet lag. We typically find that people with that will find benefits right away. They'll have more energy, more, better mental clarity etc. And that makes sense, because when you're flying you're going into a, you know higher altitude and so you sense. Because when you're flying you're going into a, you know higher altitude and so you're depriving your body of oxygen and then you're quickly coming back down to normal atmospheric pressure and so those shifts in pressures definitely can cause lethargy and decreases in energy. So hyperbaric oxygen therapy can definitely provide relief in that respect.

Speaker 1:

Or let's say that you have an athletic injury, diabetic wounds or surgical recovery issues. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy revs up the healing process and can actually help you heal 30% to 70% faster. These clients can sometimes see improvements in as early as 3 to 10 treatments because more stem cells are being produced, inflammation is decreasing faster, damaged cells are being produced, inflammation is decreasing faster, damaged cells are being repaired, etc. And these more acute clients will likely notice an improvement in symptoms much faster than someone who has more chronic illnesses and issues like inflammation, cancer, joint pain etc. And the amount of treatments that are needed for these types of conditions really can vary. It's sometimes 20, 30, 40, or even more treatments. A lot of times, we'll do a series of treatments, reassess their symptoms or have them take another look at their blood work with their physicians and then decide if we need to do continued treatments from there.

Speaker 1:

So while hyperbaric oxygen therapy is amazing for conditions like chronic wounds, anemia, anxiety, depression, and can even potentially provide significant benefit for those with long COVID fibromyalgia and cancer, let's talk about some of the precautions with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, because it's unfortunately not for everyone. So some of the absolute contraindications meaning you definitely cannot do hyperbaric therapy would include someone who has untreated pneumothorax or who has a collapsed lung that hasn't been treated. Also, clients who are taking certain chemotherapy medications may not qualify for a hyperbaric oxygen therapy and or they'll need to discontinue or be off of their chemo meds for a certain period of time before they can do hyperbaric oxygen therapy, while other chemo meds might only require monitoring during treatment. So anyone who is in active chemotherapy treatment will always need to discuss this with their physician and have physician clearance before they do any kind of therapy. Some relative contraindications also include active ear or sinus infections. With these, we typically want clients to make sure that those infections are completely cleared up and that they don't have any residual congestion. Asthma is contraindicated unless it's well controlled with medications and the client has received physician authorization to have treatment. Diabetics can receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy if their blood sugar is well managed and it's being monitored during their treatments.

Speaker 1:

And then one thing that can really be an issue is claustrophobia. But a lot of times we can work around this by slowly acclimating the client into the chamber. So, for example, we might have them come in one day and just sit in the chamber with the door open. We don't turn anything on, we just want them to try to get comfortable with it, feel the space, and then maybe the next time they come in maybe we have them just put the mask on, but we still leave the door open and see how they do. And then maybe the time after that they come in, they put the mask on and we close the door and then we slowly just make small steps towards getting them comfortable and used to what it will be like to be in the hyperbaric therapy chamber.

Speaker 1:

And for some people who have severe claustrophobia, this isn't an option for them, at least not at Panacea. There are some chambers at hospital facilities that are all glass and are bigger chambers that might be a better option for them. So for someone who does struggle with claustrophobia, whether it's minimal or significant, this is definitely a commitment by us and the client, but we're definitely willing to make that commitment if it means creating a client experience that will allow them to experience the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. For safety reasons, we do not offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy to clients with COPD because at Panacea we don't have the medical equipment or the licensed medical care providers needed to monitor these patients who are already in respiratory distress, and so for those clients, we would defer them to a hospital-based environment. At Panacea. Safety is definitely our priority, so we require medical clearance for anyone who has serious health conditions, and we'll always guide clients through the process to make sure that they're comfortable and prepared for the treatment. So if you do have any questions or you want to just come in and see what the chambers are all about, to see if it's something that you'll be comfortable with, we also always welcome that as well.

Speaker 1:

So how can you try hyperbaric oxygen therapy? As I mentioned, we obviously have chambers at Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. You can come in and have treatments at our facility. A single session is around $175, but we do have packages available that can help you save even more. We even have an introductory series where you can do three hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments in one week for just $425, which is a great way to really try hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments in one week for just $425, which is a great way to really try hyperbaric therapy, experience some of the immediate benefits and see how you feel in the chamber. And, as I mentioned earlier, when there are other facilities in the area that are charging up to $3,500 or more for treatments, this is definitely much more accessible and affordable. And we also accept HSA cards for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, so that makes it even a little bit easier for clients to invest in their health.

Speaker 1:

So if you're curious about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, here are a few tips to help you prep for your first treatment. So you want to definitely stay hydrated. You also want to avoid wearing any kind of heavy scents before your session, because the strong scents can linger in the chamber and make it not super pleasant for anyone who's coming in for a treatment after you. We also recommend that you wear comfortable, preferably cotton-based clothing into the chamber and at Panacea, since we have the pools and the saunas and the steam rooms, we do have a lot of clients who will come into the chambers in their dry bathing suits, and we're perfectly fine with that. If you get chilly, like I said, there's a blanket in there so you never have to worry about being uncomfortable. And, like I said, if you're nervous about getting in the chamber, just stop by and check them out before you book an appointment. We're happy to give you a tour of the space so you can have a better sense and feeling for what the chambers are like before you schedule that first treatment.

Speaker 1:

So, as we finish up today's episode, I want to tie this back to our mission at Panacea. Whether you're chasing better health, anti-aging, faster recovery or just more energy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a tool to unlock your body's optimal potential, and it isn't just a treatment. It's part of our commitment to holistic wellness, especially for those who have been touched by cancer. As we look towards opening our second location in Bridge Park, we'll continue to focus on helping more and more clients realize the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy by offering wellness seminars, creating holistic packages that incorporate a multifaceted approach to healing the body, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in combination with other accessible biohacking technologies like hydrogen water, iv hydration therapy and even LED light bed whole body therapy. We'll also be providing our state-of-the-art chambers at both locations to make hyperbaric oxygen therapy even more accessible to the community.

Speaker 1:

Please remember I am not a medical professional and nothing we discuss in Serenity and Fire is intended to make any kind of diagnosis or clinical recommendations. Everything I share is for general information purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional healthcare services. The use of information from this podcast is at the user's own risk, and the content of this podcast and anything we talk about on Serenity and Fire is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnoses or treatments. Always consult with a healthcare professional before receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy or trying any of the things we talk about medical advice, diagnoses or treatments. Always consult with a healthcare professional before receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy or trying any of the things we talk about on Serenity and Fire. You also should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical condition you may have as a result of anything that we've discussed on Serenity and Fire, and you should always seek the assistance of your healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Speaker 1:

Okay, that's a wrap for today's episode. If you're excited and curious about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, like I hope you are, please come in and try it at Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. You can book your first session by calling us at 614-324-7777 or by booking online at panacealuxuriespacom. And when you do that, use the code SerenITY10 for 10% off on your first hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment. And be sure to share your hyperbaric therapy experiences with us on social using hashtag Serenity and Fire, and let's keep the health conversations rolling. Lastly, be sure to subscribe to our show and share this podcast with those you love and care about, so we can help impact the lives of more people. Until the next time, keep balancing serenity with fire. I'm Krista Guageni and I'll look forward to talking with you more in our next episode.