How HBOT Calms Autoimmune Flares: What the Science Says
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Chan, NP (Medical Director, MD Hyperbaric)
If you live with an autoimmune condition like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, you’re familiar with the cycle: things feel manageable for a while, then a flare hits and everything changes. Your joints swell. Your energy tanks. Your skin flares up. And for a lot of people, spring is when it all gets worse.
But why does spring seem to bring on flares? And what can you do about it beyond adjusting medications and waiting it out?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is showing real promise as a way to help manage autoimmune flares. In this post, we’ll break down why spring is such a tough season for autoimmune conditions, how oxygen actually works to calm your immune system, and who’s most likely to benefit.
Why Spring Is So Hard on Autoimmune Conditions?
Spring is gorgeous, but if your immune system is already overactive, it can also throw your body off balance. A few things are happening at once.
For starters, the longer days shift your sleep-wake cycle, which affects cortisol, one of your body’s natural tools for keeping inflammation in check. Even small changes to your cortisol rhythm can make inflammation harder to control. Studies have confirmed that rheumatoid arthritis symptoms tend to get worse during seasonal transitions, especially in spring.[1]
Then there’s pollen. For most people, pollen means sneezing. But if your immune system is already in overdrive, those allergens can kick off a bigger inflammatory reaction that spills over into your autoimmune symptoms. Your body gears up to fight pollen, and in the process, it cranks up the same pathways that are already attacking your own tissue.
On top of that, spring often brings changes in routine: different sleep patterns, more physical activity after a slow winter, shifts in diet. Any one of these can nudge your immune system in the wrong direction. Together, they can trigger a full-blown flare.
A 2019 study tracking over 12,000 rheumatoid arthritis patients found that flares in the small joints of the hands and feet were most common in spring, followed by winter.[2] A separate large-scale analysis backed this up, linking the spring peak to changes in how immune-related genes are expressed as the climate shifts.[3]
And here’s one more factor: by the end of winter, many people’s vitamin D levels have bottomed out. Vitamin D plays a key role in keeping your immune system balanced, and low levels have been linked to increased autoimmune activity in conditions like MS and lupus. So by the time spring rolls around, your body may already be running on empty.
How Oxygen Helps Your Immune System Find Balance
To understand why HBOT helps with flares, it helps to understand a bit about how your immune system communicates.
Your body uses tiny messenger molecules called cytokines to coordinate its immune response. Think of them as signals that either turn inflammation up or turn it down. In autoimmune disease, the “turn it up” signals (like TNF-α and IL-6) overpower the “turn it down” signals (like IL-10). That imbalance is what drives the pain, swelling, and tissue damage you feel during a flare.
HBOT works by having you breathe pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Under that pressure, your blood absorbs far more oxygen than it normally would, up to 10 to 15 times the usual amount. That extra oxygen reaches deep into inflamed areas that your blood supply might be struggling to get to on its own.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. A 2021 study found that HBOT significantly lowered the pro-inflammatory signals (the ones that drive flares) while boosting the anti-inflammatory signals that help calm things down.[4] A 2022 study confirmed similar effects on immune markers and oxidative stress.[5]
A major 2024 review looking at 780 patients found the same pattern: HBOT consistently increased the calming signals (IL-10) while reducing the inflammatory ones (TNF-α and IL-6).[6]
HBOT also supports your immune system in other ways. It helps activate regulatory T-cells, which are basically your body’s peacekeepers, the cells that tell the immune system to stand down when it’s attacking healthy tissue. It boosts your body’s natural antioxidant defenses. And it makes it harder for inflammatory cells to pile into your tissues and cause damage.[7]
The bottom line: HBOT doesn’t shut your immune system off the way some medications do. It helps bring it back into balance.
What Treatment Looks Like
At MD Hyperbaric, we build a treatment plan around your specific condition and symptoms. While every case is different, most autoimmune patients go through 20 to 40 sessions, each lasting about 60 to 90 minutes.
A lot of patients start feeling a difference within the first 10 sessions: less joint stiffness, more energy, better sleep, and a general feeling that the flare is losing steam. Those early changes reflect the shift in inflammatory signals and improved oxygen delivery that starts within the first few treatments.
The full benefits tend to build over the course of treatment. The improvements in immune balance, antioxidant capacity, and tissue repair are cumulative, which is why sticking with the full course matters.
Who Benefits Most?
HBOT isn’t meant to replace your doctor or your medications. It works alongside them, targeting the underlying inflammation that fuels flares.
You might be a great fit for HBOT if you keep having flares even though you’re on standard treatment, if your symptoms tend to get worse with the seasons (especially spring and fall), if autoimmune fatigue is dragging you down and nothing seems to help, if you have a condition with a strong inflammatory component like RA, lupus, MS, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis, or if you’re looking for something non-pharmaceutical to add to your care plan.
HBOT has a strong safety track record in clinical settings. Side effects are uncommon and usually minor, things like temporary ear pressure or feeling a bit tired after a session.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to just ride out autoimmune flares and hope for the best. The research is showing that HBOT can meaningfully shift the immune imbalance that drives these episodes. It calms the inflammatory signals, supports your body’s built-in peacekeeping cells, and delivers healing oxygen to the tissues that need it most.
If spring has always been a rough season for your autoimmune health, this might be the year to try something different.
References & Supporting Research
[1] Strusberg I, et al. “Influence of weather conditions on rheumatic pain.” Journal of Rheumatology. 2002;29(2):335-338.
[2] Iikuni N, et al. “Influence of seasonal changes on disease activity and distribution of affected joints in rheumatoid arthritis.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2019;20:38.
[3] Ryu HJ, et al. “Seasonal exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis detected by big claims data analysis.” Modern Rheumatology. 2022;32(5):887-893.
[4] Liang F, et al. “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy alleviates autoimmune encephalomyelitis via the reduction of IL-17a and GM-CSF production.” BMC Neuroscience. 2021;22:43. PMID: 34440146.
[5] Heyboer M, et al. “The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on markers of oxidative stress and the immune response in healthy volunteers.” Frontiers in Physiology. 2022;13:826163.
[6] Labrousse-Arias D, et al. “New insights of hyperbaric oxygen therapy: focus on inflammatory bowel disease.” Precision Clinical Medicine. 2024;7(1):pbae001.
[7] Luongo C, et al. “Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is associated with a decrease in cytokine levels in patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infection.” Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine. 2021;48(2):147-156.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or insurance advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal recommendations and check with your insurance company for current policy details.
What Our Patients Say
Real Patients. Real Results
Post-Surgical Recovery“Getting HBOT helped me a lot with my wound healing. I noticed my scars remarkably lightened. My mood and energy levels improved as well in just three weeks of getting two sessions each week — despite my demanding work schedule, I felt like I had more energy.”Namae
Inflammatory Bowel Disease“I was prescribed HBOT by my specialist to treat a complex and traumatic issue stemming from IBD and reconstructive GI surgeries. I did a full course and absolutely saw improvement right away. The staff are amazing, very professional and caring.”Kathleen
Injury Recovery“I broke my wrist playing tennis and came to MD Hyperbaric Westchester to help speed up my recovery. After a few sessions I have felt a tremendous improvement in energy, sleep — and my doctor says my wrist is healing remarkably well.”John
Cancer Adjunct“I'm a breast cancer survivor, and after radiation near my lungs, I thought this treatment might be useful. I can feel a difference in my breathing and cognition. I definitely recommend it if your body has gone through a traumatic experience.”Aziza
Wellness“I recently began using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at MD Hyperbaric, and it's been one of the most unique and impactful wellness treatments I've explored. I was drawn in by the potential benefits for anxiety, fatigue, and overall cellular repair, but I didn't expect it to feel this restorative — and my skin is glowing too!”Olesia
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a proven treatment that enhances healing by flooding the body with oxygen. Used for over 100 years, it supports brain health, anti-aging, athletic recovery, and medical conditions by boosting oxygen in blood, tissues, and organs. Patients breathe 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber, accelerating recovery and promoting cellular repair.
HBOT is FDA-approved for 14 conditions like burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, and non-healing wounds. Emerging research also supports its use for post-surgical recovery, brain injury, fatigue, inflammation, athletic recovery, and anti-aging. Our medical team will assess if HBOT is right for you.
Yes, HBOT is safe when properly supervised. At MD Hyperbaric, treatments are protocol-driven, medically overseen, and administered by certified staff. Our Medical Director and onsite Safety Director ensure every session is carefully monitored, and we continuously update our protocols based on the latest research to prioritize patient safety.
Typically, most treatment sessions are approximately 60 minutes, though some conditions may require up to 90 or 120 minutes. Pressurization and depressurization may add about 20 minutes to the appointment, so you should plan for about 90 minutes for your visit.
The number of sessions depends on the condition being treated. Some patients may benefit from a few sessions, while others may require a more extended treatment plan. A typical protocol will involve 10-40 daily sessions to build up oxygen in the cells. Our Medical Director will recommend a specific treatment plan to address your goals and needs.
Prior to treatment, please try to avoid alcohol or carbonated drinks. It is best to avoid smoking and other tobacco products during your treatment period, as they may interfere with the body's ability to transport oxygen. Otherwise, there are no restrictions for food or activity before or after your treatment. We encourage you to have healthy meals and stay hydrated.
Most patients find HBOT sessions relaxing. You will rest comfortably in a 7.5-foot-long steel chamber, breathing 100% pure oxygen through a mask. During pressurization and depressurization, you may feel pressure changes similar to airplane travel. A trained technician will monitor you throughout the session.
The term "dive" is used because the process simulates the experience of a deep-sea dive in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has deep roots in diving as an important therapy for treating divers experiencing decompression sickness.
At MD Hyperbaric, we use the FDA-cleared OxyHealth Fortius420, a spacious hard-shell chamber delivering 100% medical-grade oxygen via mask. It operates up to 3.0 ATA, allows tailored pressures, supports air breaks, and includes three windows for comfort and safety.
At MD Hyperbaric, we use hard-shell chambers that deliver 100% medical-grade oxygen at higher pressures for superior therapeutic benefits. Soft-shell chambers operate at lower pressures without medical-grade oxygen, making them less effective for medical treatment.
Our team will assess your medical history and specific circumstances through an intake process. An initial evaluation with certified staff and the Medical Director will determine your eligibility for HBOT.
No referral is needed. Our Medical Director will review your intake forms and prescribe HBOT if appropriate. If you have a prescription from a provider, we will coordinate with them. For serious health conditions, we may recommend getting clearance from your physician.
Some MD Hyperbaric centers accept insurance for certain on-label conditions — the FDA-recognized indications for which HBOT is an established standard of care. Whether insurance applies depends on your diagnosis, your plan, and the center you visit, so please contact your local center to confirm. Where insurance does not apply, HBOT is a self-pay treatment: most FSA/HSA plans allow reimbursement, and we can provide a superbill and receipt to help you submit a claim.
It depends on how you pay. For insurance-covered treatment at participating centers, your cost depends on your plan's deductible, copay, and coinsurance — the center verifies your benefits and explains expected costs before treatment begins. For self-pay treatment, we offer a variety of pricing options designed to suit different medical and financial needs, including pay-as-you-go and package options at reduced rates when purchased upfront. Please contact us to discuss pricing and options. We accept cash, credit, or check.