Written by Hulet Smith, OT
Hyperbarics can be confusing, but you don’t need a physics degree to understand. Look no further! Using the definitions in this article, we can help you understand HBOT jargon and assist you in your hyperbaric journey.
An air compressor for a hyperbaric chamber is the machine that takes in the air we typically breathe (also known as ambient air) and converts it into pressurized air.
Ambient air is the air that surrounds you. It is what you breathe on a typical day. It can also be called 'atmospheric air'.
A condition where your body lacks red blood cells. These cells are the oxygen carriers in your body that take oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your organs. Without red blood cells, your organs will not get the oxygen flow they require to work! Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, pale or yellowish skin, irregular heartbeats, and shortness of breath. HBOT is an FDA-approved treatment for anemia. As explained by the National Hyperbaric Treatment Center, hyperbarics flood your body with oxygen which helps increase the oxygen levels in your blood.
An arterial gas embolism means you have air and gas bubbles in your blood vessels. In other words, there are bubbles stuck in an artery or vein, blocking blood flow. Air-gas embolisms are typically seen in divers that surface too quickly (rapid decompression) and can be very dangerous. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an FDA-approved treatment for air gas embolisms. The increased air pressure within a hyperbaric chamber decreases the size and creates oxygen-rich blood which expels nitrogen bubbles.
The "blanket" of air that surrounds the earth; all the way from seal level to deep outer space.
The amount of pressure (at any given location or altitude) exerted by the everyday weight of air around us is called atmospheric pressure. It is commonly measured with a barometer.
ATM, also called Standard Atmosphere, is a unit of measuring pressure. It is equal to Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level. ATM is sometimes used as a "reference pressure" or "standard pressure".
ATM is one of many units of measurement for pressure. Other units of measurement are PSI (imperial) and kPa (metric).
Atmosphere absolute is also called "total atmospheres". It is a unit of measuring pressure, and it's the TOTAL pressure on the system being calculated. It helps you determine precise air pressure from multiple sources. Using ATA is most helpful when you are diving below sea level because it calculates the pressure below and above sea level to determine your total pressure.
Hypothetical situation: You are scuba diving and the water depth is 1 ATA. So, if the water depth is 1 ATA, then the total pressure on the diver at depth is 1 ATA (weight of water) + 1 ATM (weight of atmosphere) = 2 ATA.
In the hyperbaric world, the terms "ATA" and "ATM" are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably;they have DIFFERENT definitions. These terms are not common knowledge, and people often get them confused.
The study of physiological processes resulting from pressure changes or changes in the concentration of inhaled gases. Essentially, it is the field of medicine that examines how gas pressure affects our bodies. Baromedicine includes hyperbaric research, and it has provided many of the medical findings and rationale for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
A scientific instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Barotrauma is tissue damage caused by unequal pressures of air or water. At its simplest level, barotrauma can be the painful feeling in your ears while on an airplane. More severely, it is decompression sickness for scuba divers. Barotrauma is a possible side effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The bends are a common term for decompression sickness, referring to an illness caused by rapid depressurization. The most common symptom is joint pain, but the bends can also cause fatigue and itching (known as “the creeps”). Decompression sickness is commonly seen in divers who resurface too quickly. To prevent the bends and keep you safe, all hyperbaric chambers slowly decrease pressure to conclude a session.
Bolsters are foam or inflatable cushions sometimes used to support the outside of a hyperbaric chamber. They increase the comfort and support of HBOT by making sure the chamber stays upright and balanced during any adjustments or impact.
Severe and large skin burns that require treatment at a specialized burn center. Burns are one of the conditions for which hyperbaric chambers are an FDA-approved treatment.
Occurs when too much carbon monoxide builds up and replaces the oxygen that your body needs. Symptoms include headache, weakness, nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision, and even loss of consciousness. Carbon monoxide poisoning is 1 of 13 FDA-approved treatments of HBOT.
Referring to Hyperbarics, a "chamber" is the vessel that a user gets inside when receiving HBOT. Sometimes, it is also called a "cabin". There are many different kinds including hard, soft, vertical, monoplace, and multiplace chambers. Read How to Choose the Best Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chamber for more information regarding chamber types, recommendations, and prices.
Crush injuries and compartment syndrome are conditions resulting from force, trauma, or unusual pressures in the body resulting in decreased blood flow to tissues. Damage includes bleeding, bruising, fractures, nerve damage, and infection. Crush injuries are often seen after earthquakes or other natural disasters when objects fall and pin someone down. HBOT is an FDA-approved treatment for crush injuries -- which helps promote healing and reduce swelling by delivering increased oxygen to the injury site.
Open sores, typically on the sole of a person’s foot caused by poor circulation, irritation, or lack of feeling in the foot. Diabetic foot ulcers put individuals at a high risk of infection. Hyperbarics are an FDA-approved treatment to promote healing for chronic wounds, which includes diabetic foot ulcers.
A condition that is typically seen in divers caused by rapid depressurization. Also referred to as the "bends". Symptoms include joint pain and fatigue. Hyperbaric chambers contain safety precautions to prevent decompression sickness after a treatment session. HBOT was originally used to treat decompression sickness, and it remains an FDA-approved treatment for this condition.
Another term for a hyperbaric session. Hyperbaric chambers were originally designed to aid divers with decompression sickness. Today, many users use HBOT for a wide variety of conditions, but the term "dive" is still used.
FDA is an abbreviation for U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, security, and effectiveness of certain human (and veterinary) drugs, vaccines, medical devices, cosmetics, and more.
The FDA “approves” human drugs and biologics, food, tobacco products, cosmetics, animal drugs, electrical products that emit radiation, and HIGH-RISK MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. Examples of high-risk medical equipment are mechanical heart valves and implantable infusion pumps. Hyperbaric chambers are considered moderate-risk medical devices, and they are FDA "cleared". See that definition below!
The term FDA "cleared" is used by the FDA for Class II, moderate-risk medical devices. The term declares that a product is “substantially equivalent to another (similar) legally marketed device” that already has FDA approval.
A serious infection in a wound that lacks blood supply and therefore importantly, oxygen. Without a blood supply, bacteria gather and release toxins that cause tissue death. A person with gas gangrene may experience skin discoloration, swelling, blisters, and pain, among other symptoms. HBOT is an FDA-approved treatment for gas gangrene.
No, we are not referring to a TV network! In hyperbarics, HBO is an abbreviation for HyperBaric Oxygen. This abbreviation is not used that often, and the more commonly used abbreviation is HBOT.
A common abbreviation for HyperBaric Oxygen Therapy.
Pressure that is greater than the pressure at sea level. The average pressure at sea level is 1 ATA, so hyperbaric pressure is any number greater than 1 ATA.
Put simply, hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a fluid. When you move further above sea level, the atmospheric pressure decreases because the weight of the air above you is lower. Hydrostatic pressure works similarly. As you move deeper underwater, pressure increases because there is more water above you (i.e., a greater weight).
Hyperoxia is when you have excess oxygen in your body. It occurs when the oxygen you breathe in has greater pressure than the rest of the air around you (atmospheric pressure).
Hypoxia is a term used when your body doesn't have enough oxygen. Having an oxygen deficiency is the opposite of hyperoxia (term above). It is a dangerous condition because without proper oxygen, your organs can be damaged. Hypoxia is usually treated with supplemental oxygen via a face mask, administered by a doctor at a hospital. Hypoxia is usually caused by a severe asthma attack. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not a standard treatment for hypoxia.
The Imperial System is a system of measurement, mainly used in the United States, Myanmar, and Liberia. Every other country has adopted the metric system.
Examples of imperial units of measure, that relate to hyperbaric, are:
Kilopascals (kPa) are a unit of measuring pressure. It's often used for scientific study e.g., engineering, physics, geophysics, chemistry, etc. It's also used for other mainstream applications, like air pressure, water pressure, tire pressure, etc. kPa is part of the metric system, so sometimes Americans do not use it for that reason; alternatively, Americans use and they use PSI instead.
Wounds that do not heal in the appropriate time or anatomically correct position despite typical medical interventions. These include diabetic ulcers, radiation therapy wounds, infectious wounds, and surgical wounds. Also referred to as chronic wounds.
The metric system is a decimal system of weights and measures based on the meter and kilogram. Almost the entire world has adopted the metric system, with the exception of the United States, Myanmar, and Liberia.
Examples of metric units of measure, that relate to hyperbaric, are:
mHBOT is an abbreviation for mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and it refers to a type of chamber. This type of chamber is called ‘mild’ because it reaches pressure levels up to 1.3 ATA.
An oxygen concentrator is a device used to increase oxygen levels by removing nitrogen from the air. In hyperbaric oxygen therapy, oxygen concentrators are used to increase absorption in your lungs and supply greater oxygen to your body.
Oxygen poisoning is lung damage that occurs from breathing in too much oxygen. Severity differs depending on the level and length of exposure, but harmful effects include coughing, throat irritation, chest pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, and even seizures. While rare during HBOT, we recommend consulting a doctor prior to use to ensure safety. Also referred to as oxygen toxicity.
Occurs when you breathe oxygen at significantly higher than normal partial pressures, considered extreme hyperoxia. Symptoms include coughing, throat irritation, chest pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, and even seizures. Also referred to as oxygen poisoning.
A pascal (PA) is a unit of measuring pressure.
In the United States, PSI is the most common unit of measuring pressure. We normally learn this term in our teenage years, when we are learning about a car's tire pressure. At sea level, the air pressure is approximately 14.7 PSI, equivalent to 1 ATA.
Damage to tissues caused by prolonged exposure to a high dose of radiation. Symptoms vary but include weakness, fatigue, dehydration, hair loss, inflammation, ulcers, and in severe cases vomiting of blood. HBOT is FDA-approved to treat delayed radiation injury. Also referred to as radiation sickness.
Sea level is the base level for measuring elevation and depth on Earth. Because the ocean is a continuous body of water, its surface tries to seek the same level around the world. Accordingly, Sea Level is the average level of the surface of Earth's bodies of water. Keep in mind that due to winds, gravity, ocean currents, etc. sea level is not truly level at every point in the world.
Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1 ATM.
A hyperbaric chamber meant for prolonged use and suitable for overnight sessions. Sleeping chambers have lower pressures than other hyperbaric chambers and some users find this method of HBOT more comfortable. Commonly used by athletes..
Another term for a session or dive.
We get it - hyperbarics can be confusing for novice and even experienced users. We hope that this reading has helped you to decipher hyperbaric jargon, and assisted you in your journey.
Read The Ultimate Guide to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for more valuable information and check out our selection of Hyperbaric Chambers for sale.
Co-founder/CEO of Rehabmart, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, husband, and father. Passionate about connecting special needs kids with superb nutrition, sensory integration, and complementary health strategies. Excited about Rehabmart's mission to become the premier online educational platform which empowers caregivers by spotlighting innovative devices and interventions to achieve optimal patient response and recovery.
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