Breathing New Life Into Recovery: How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Supports Long Covid Healing

It starts as a whisper: the lingering fatigue after what seemed like a “recovered” COVID-19 infection. Weeks pass, then months. The brain fog persists, concentration slips, energy vanishes by mid-morning, and even a gentle walk feels like climbing a mountain.

For many, this is the reality of Long Covid, a condition affecting an estimated 10-30% of non-hospitalised cases, 50-70% of those who required hospitalisation, and 10-12% of vaccinated cases.¹ It is a syndrome marked not just by fatigue, but also breathlessness, memory lapses, and reduced quality of life.

At Expand Health in Cape Town, we see the profound impact this has on our clients’ daily lives, careers, and wellbeing. But we also see hope. One promising therapy is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) - a treatment that’s showing real potential in helping Long Covid patients reclaim their energy, clarity, and resilience.

What is Long Covid?

Long COVID, also known as post covid-19 condition or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), refers to a range of symptoms that persist beyond 12 weeks after the acute phase of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The suggested pathogenesis of long COVID involves a multitude of mechanisms including immune system dysregulation, exaggerated inflammatory response, hyperviscosity and microvascular damage, with more complex consequences in organs with high oxygen demand such as the central nervous system and the heart.

The most common complaints include:

• Persistent fatigue

• Cognitive dysfunction (“brain fog”)

• Breathing difficulties

• Sleep disturbances

• Reduced exercise tolerance

Research suggests these symptoms are linked to ongoing inflammation, microvascular damage, impaired oxygen delivery, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In short, the body struggles to recover because oxygen isn’t getting where it’s needed most - the cells.

How HBOT Can Help

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurised chamber, increasing oxygen delivery up to 10-15 times higher than normal breathing. This oxygen-rich environment allows oxygen saturation of the plasma - which can reach tissues starved of oxygen, supporting healing at a cellular level.

Science-Backed Benefits for Long Covid:

1. Improved Cognitive Function:

   • A 2022 study in Scientific Reports found that Long Covid patients receiving HBOT showed significant improvements in attention, executive function, and memory, with MRI scans revealing enhanced brain perfusion and structure.¹

2. Reduced Fatigue:

   • A controlled trial published in Frontiers in Medicine (2024) reported that HBOT significantly reduced fatigue scores in Long Covid patients, compared to standard care.²

3. Enhanced Oxygenation and Breathing:

   • By delivering oxygen under pressure, HBOT bypasses damaged microcirculation and supports lung tissue repair. Patients often report easier breathing and improved exercise tolerance.³

4. Cellular Repair and Anti-Inflammation:

   • HBOT stimulates angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) and neuroplasticity, reduces neuroinflammation, and restores mitochondrial function, all of which are compromised in Long Covid.⁴

Quality of Life Restored

In the context of quality of life assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire in a 2024 study published in Scientific Reports², the initial, short-term, evaluation post HBOT revealed substantial and statistically significant enhancements across most domains. The benefits go beyond science and statistics. Many Long Covid patients describe HBOT as the turning point where they begin to feel like themselves again - energy returning, clarity restored, and the ability to enjoy life without constant exhaustion.

For professionals, parents, and active individuals, this shift is not just physical. It’s a return to freedom and longevity, reclaiming the vitality that Long Covid once stole.

The Expand Health Approach

At Expand Health, we integrate HBOT into personalised recovery protocols that may also include:

• PEMF Therapy to improve circulation, cellular repair and oxygen absorption.

• Personalised IV Therapy (including antioxidants like glutathione) to support mitochondrial recovery and reduce inflammation

• Ozone Sauna & Infrared Sauna for detoxification and immune support

• Red Light Therapy to promote brain and tissue healing

Guided by our in-house integrative doctor and our team of holistic health practitioners, every protocol is tailored to your unique biology and health goals.

Take the Next Step

If you’ve been struggling with persistent fatigue, brain fog, or breathlessness after COVID-19 or a recent viral infection, know that you’re not alone and recovery is possible.

Book a consultation at Expand Health, Cape Town, and discover how HBOT can be part of your journey back to energy, clarity, and health.

Book your HBOT sessions and packages here  

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References

1. Ceban, F. et al. (2022) Fatigue and cognitive impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Behav. Immun. 101, 93–135. 

2. Hadanny, A., Zilberman-Itskovich, S., Catalogna, M. et al. (2024) Long term outcomes of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in post covid condition: longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports 14, 3604.

3. Zilberman-Itskovich, S. et al. (2022). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for long COVID syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports.

4. Robbins, T. et al. (2024). Hyperbaric oxygen in post-COVID fatigue: a pilot trial. Frontiers in Medicine.

5. Yale Medicine. (2023). Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Help Treat Long Covid?

6. NCBI. (2022). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy mechanisms in inflammation and neuroplasticity.

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