Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Cardiff
Doctor-led sessions in a pressurised chamber, flooding your blood with extra oxygen to support recovery, energy and wellbeing. From £65 a session.
A one-minute suitability check comes first — a few conditions make hyperbaric oxygen unsafe, and we check before every first session.
What is HBOT?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy means breathing concentrated oxygen inside a pressurised chamber. Normal air is about 21% oxygen — in the chamber you breathe far more, and the pressure drives it straight into your blood plasma, not just onto your red blood cells.
It feels much like relaxing in a comfortable cabin. No needles, no anaesthetic, no downtime.
How HBOT gets more oxygen into your blood
Normal air · ~21% O₂
In the chamber · far more
How it works — and why it helps with exhaustion
Every cell runs on oxygen. When tissues are starved of it, energy production falls and persistent tiredness is one of the first things you feel. HBOT tackles this from a different angle to most treatments.
Breathe pressurised oxygen
You relax inside a comfortable chamber breathing concentrated oxygen at increased pressure — far more than the 21% oxygen in normal air.
Oxygen dissolves into plasma
The pressure pushes oxygen straight into your blood plasma — the liquid part of your blood — independent of red blood cells.
It reaches starved tissue
That dissolved oxygen travels deep into tissues even where blood flow or red-cell supply is limited, fuelling the mitochondria that power recovery.
What people use HBOT for
We label each use by how strong the current evidence is. Some uses are well-established; others are promising areas of active research. We'll always be honest about which is which.
Recovery & athletic performance
Used in sports medicine to support recovery from soft-tissue injury and training load by improving oxygen delivery to healing tissue.
Fatigue & exhaustion
HBOT is being studied for its role in supporting energy and easing the persistent tiredness that sets in when tissues are short of oxygen.
Post-viral & long COVID
Randomised trials published in peer-reviewed journals have investigated HBOT for persistent post-viral symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog, with encouraging early signals.
Cognitive & brain health
Research is exploring whether repeated HBOT sessions can support cognitive function and brain blood flow, including early-stage studies relating to age-related decline and dementia. The evidence here is still developing.
Wound healing & inflammation
One of HBOT's oldest and best-evidenced uses: raising tissue oxygen to support the healing of stubborn wounds and reduce inflammation.
Healthy ageing
Some studies are examining HBOT's effect on markers associated with cellular ageing. Promising but not yet settled science — we present it honestly.
What to expect
You relax while the chamber gently pressurises — the only real sensation is mild ear pressure, like an aeroplane taking off, which clears easily. Many people choose a course of 10 sessions over 2–4 weeks, but you can try a single one first to see how you find it.
Session time
~60 minutes
Pain
None
Anaesthetic
None needed
Recovery
No downtime
Side effects
Mild ear pressure
Pricing
Single session
£65
One 60-minute HBOT session.
Course of 10
£500
10 sessions — £150 less than booking individually.
Every first session starts with a suitability check against the conditions that make hyperbaric oxygen unsafe. Pass it and you can book online; if anything is flagged we'll talk it through on the phone first.
Why HBOT works so well after an iron infusion
Iron deficiency leaves your blood short of haemoglobin — the protein that carries oxygen. An iron infusion rebuilds that carrier. But that's only half the story: your body still has to deliver and use that oxygen.
That's where HBOT compounds the benefit. Iron rebuilds the carrier; HBOT floods your plasma with dissolved oxygen on top — independent of red cells. Together they're our IronOx Therapy programme.
Frequently asked questions
A hyperbaric chamber raises the air pressure around you while you breathe concentrated oxygen. The pressure dissolves extra oxygen directly into your blood plasma — independent of your red blood cells — so more oxygen reaches your tissues than breathing normal air ever allows. A session at IronOx lasts about 60 minutes.
Yes, but only for a short list of approved medical indications — such as decompression illness, carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene, and certain non-healing or radiation-damaged wounds. The NHS does not provide HBOT for recovery, fatigue or general wellbeing, which is why those uses are only available privately. NHS hyperbaric units are also concentrated in a handful of UK sites, so access depends heavily on where you live.
The most common downside is ear pressure during the pressure change, much like flying or diving — it is usually mild and settles quickly. HBOT is also a time commitment: sessions run about an hour and are usually taken as a course rather than one-off. And because it is not funded by the NHS for wellbeing use, it is a private cost. We will tell you honestly if we do not think it is worth it for you.
HBOT is not suitable for everyone. Untreated pneumothorax (collapsed lung) is an absolute reason not to proceed. Certain lung conditions, recent ear or sinus surgery, uncontrolled high fever, and some medications all need review first. Dr Ros assesses your suitability before your first session, and we will decline if it is not appropriate.
Private HBOT in the UK is priced per session, with courses discounted against the single-session rate; it is not routinely NHS-funded for wellbeing use. At IronOx Clinic Cardiff a single session is £65 and a course of 10 is £500 — £150 less than booking ten individually, which works out at £50 a session. Standalone courses are booked by phone on 07854 056626 so we can check your suitability first.
HBOT is a well-established therapy used in NHS hospitals and private clinics worldwide. Side effects are uncommon and usually mild — temporary ear pressure is the most frequently reported. Dr Ros reviews your suitability before you start.
It depends on your goal. Many people choose a course of 10 sessions, typically spread over 2–4 weeks. You can also try a single session first before committing to a course.
Yes — that is IronOx Therapy, and it is the reason this clinic exists. An iron infusion rebuilds your blood's oxygen-carrying capacity; HBOT adds dissolved oxygen on top of that during the recovery window. We are one of the few UK clinics offering both under one roof. See our IronOx Therapy page for details.
Read more before you decide
We'd rather you booked knowing what the evidence does and doesn't support.
- What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?The mechanism, in plain English, and what pressure actually does.
- What is a hyperbaric chamber?Types, pressures, and what it is like inside one.
- What the evidence actually showsEstablished, under research, and not supported — graded honestly.
- Side effects and safetyWhat can go wrong, how often, and who should not have it at all.
- Does the NHS offer HBOT?What the NHS funds, what it does not, and why.
- HBOT for athletesDoes hyperbaric oxygen genuinely speed up recovery?
- Iron infusion and HBOTWhy every IronOx infusion includes a complimentary session.
Ready to try HBOT?
Take the one-minute suitability check and book online. Prefer to talk first, or want to combine it with an iron infusion? Call us.
Already having an iron infusion? Every IronOx infusion includes a complimentary session.