These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This service is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment.
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
Brain Fog and Long COVID: A Closer Look at HBOT
Brain Fog
Long COVID
Hyperbarics
HBOT
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. OxyRenew provides hyperbaric oxygen sessions for general wellness, not to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Hyperbaric chambers are FDA-cleared medical devices only for certain medical conditions, and OxyRenew does not provide medical treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about any health concern.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This service is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment.
Brain fog refers to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and a general sense that your thinking is slower than it should be. While stress and poor sleep can cause these symptoms, Long COVID has made them far more common. Many people who recovered from COVID-19 months ago still experience cognitive effects that interfere with work and daily life.
HBOT is being studied for Long COVID, not approved for it. The FDA has not cleared the therapy for Long COVID or other post-viral symptoms, and the sections below summarize the published research.
Why Long COVID Affects the Brain
Researchers are still working to understand why COVID-19 leaves cognitive symptoms behind. The leading theories point to persistent inflammation, reduced blood flow to the brain, and cellular damage that lingers after the virus itself is gone.
Researchers have studied whether Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) affects these mechanisms. Breathing concentrated oxygen at elevated pressure increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in blood plasma. Studies have examined whether this added oxygen reaches brain tissue that normal circulation supplies poorly.
How HBOT Supports Cognitive Recovery
Some studies have reported anti-inflammatory effects with HBOT. Neuroinflammation, the persistent brain inflammation associated with Long COVID, disrupts how neurons communicate. Whether reducing it improves the signaling behind focus and memory is still being studied.
Long COVID appears to involve microvascular dysfunction, where the smallest blood vessels fail to deliver adequate oxygen. Researchers have tested whether raising the oxygen dissolved in plasma helps compensate for this. Zilberman-Itskovich et al. (2022) ran a randomized, sham-controlled trial of 73 post-COVID patients and reported greater gray-matter cerebral blood flow in the group that received 40 HBOT sessions than in the sham group. These findings are preliminary and larger studies are needed.
Researchers have also studied whether HBOT influences brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein involved in neuroplasticity. BDNF supports the brain's ability to form new connections. Its role in Long COVID recovery has not been established.
What to Expect at OxyRenew
Our hard-shell chamber in Los Angeles operates at 2.0 ATA. Soft-shell chambers max out around 1.3 ATA, a lower pressure that dissolves less oxygen into plasma. The trials described above used pressures at or near 2.0 ATA.
Sessions are private and comfortable. You can sit upright or recline, use your phone, watch something on our courtesy iPad, or simply rest. Your Certified Hyperbaric Technician monitors the entire session and can answer questions before, during, or after.
If you are managing Long COVID symptoms, discuss HBOT with your physician as one part of a broader care plan. We work with referring providers. If your doctor recommends HBOT, or you want to learn whether it fits your situation, contact us to speak with a Certified Hyperbaric Technician, or book your first session online.
