Most of us never think about our autonomic nervous system—and that’s a good thing.
Every second of every day it quietly controls your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, body temperature, circulation, and countless other functions without requiring conscious thought.
But when this system begins to malfunction, everyday activities can suddenly feel exhausting.
Standing up may cause your heart to race. Walking across a room may leave you lightheaded. Grocery shopping can become overwhelming. Even simple conversations or concentrating at work may feel mentally draining.
This collection of symptoms is often referred to as dysautonomia, with one of the most common forms being Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
At New England Hyperbarics, we understand that these symptoms are not “all in your head.” They reflect real changes in how the brain, autonomic nervous system, blood vessels, and circulation communicate with one another.
What Is Dysautonomia?
The autonomic nervous system has two primary jobs.
The first is to keep you alive by automatically regulating essential functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, and circulation.
The second is to help your body continuously adapt to changes in your environment.
When you stand up, your brain instantly recognizes the shift in gravity and sends signals through the autonomic nervous system to tighten blood vessels, maintain blood pressure, and keep oxygen flowing to your brain.
For people with dysautonomia, these automatic adjustments become less efficient.
Instead of maintaining stable circulation, blood may pool in the legs, heart rate may increase excessively, and the brain may temporarily receive less blood flow. The result can be dizziness, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, blurred vision, brain fog, weakness, nausea, and exercise intolerance.
Why Does POTS Develop?
There is rarely a single cause.
Many patients develop symptoms after:
- Viral illnesses, including COVID-19
- Concussions or traumatic brain injury
- Autoimmune conditions
- Surgery
- Significant physical or emotional stress
- Connective tissue disorders such as hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Researchers believe several biological processes may contribute, including inflammation, injury to small blood vessels, altered autonomic nerve function, immune system dysregulation, and changes in how the brain regulates cardiovascular function.
While the trigger may differ from person to person, the end result is often the same: the brain and autonomic nervous system are no longer communicating as efficiently as they should.
Why Oxygen Matters
Every nerve cell in the autonomic nervous system depends on oxygen to produce energy.
The brainstem, which plays a central role in regulating autonomic function, is especially metabolically active. If inflammation, impaired microcirculation, or cellular dysfunction reduce the amount of oxygen reaching these tissues, the nervous system may struggle to regulate the body’s automatic functions efficiently.
This doesn’t necessarily mean a person has low oxygen levels on a pulse oximeter. Rather, the challenge may involve how effectively oxygen reaches tissues and how efficiently cells use it to produce energy.
How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Works
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) allows patients to breathe 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber.
The increased pressure enables significantly more oxygen to dissolve directly into the plasma—the liquid portion of the blood. This dissolved oxygen can reach tissues beyond what red blood cells alone typically deliver, helping support areas with impaired circulation or increased metabolic demand.
Research has shown HBOT can:
- Increase oxygen delivery to tissues by up to 1200%
- Reduce inflammation at the genetic level
- Improve microvascular circulation
- Stimulate the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis)
- Support mitochondrial energy production
- Promote neuroplasticity
- Enhance tissue repair
- Restore Autonomic Nervous System function
Together, these effects create an environment that may help the brain and nervous system recover more effectively.
Could HBOT Help People with Dysautonomia?
Research specifically studying HBOT for POTS and dysautonomia is still limited, so it is important to avoid viewing HBOT as a cure.
However, there are several reasons researchers and clinicians are interested in its potential.
Many patients with dysautonomia also have conditions such as concussion, Long COVID, or chronic inflammatory illnesses—conditions in which HBOT has shown promising results in improving brain function, reducing inflammation, and enhancing quality of life in selected patients.
By improving oxygen availability, supporting healthier blood vessel function, and promoting recovery within the nervous system, HBOT may help address some of the biological processes believed to contribute to autonomic dysfunction.
For some individuals, this may translate into improvements in fatigue, cognitive function, exercise tolerance, dizziness, or overall quality of life. Results vary, and HBOT is best considered as one component of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Looking Beyond Symptoms
At New England Hyperbarics, we believe that lasting recovery comes from supporting the body’s ability to heal.
Rather than simply masking symptoms, hyperbaric oxygen therapy aims to create an environment where cells have the oxygen and energy they need to repair, adapt, and function more efficiently to heal the root of your symptoms.
For patients living with dysautonomia or POTS, that may mean giving the nervous system the resources it needs to begin restoring healthier communication between the brain, blood vessels, heart, and the rest of the body. And that starts with Oxygen.
Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Right for You?
Every patient with dysautonomia is different. Some recover with time, while others continue to experience symptoms for months or years.
HBOT is not appropriate for everyone. At New England Hyperbarics, we carefully review each patient’s history, current condition, and goals while providing a comprehensive medical exam to determine whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be an appropriate part of their recovery plan.
If you have been living with persistent dizziness, rapid heart rate, fatigue, brain fog, or other symptoms of autonomic dysfunction, we are here to help you explore evidence-informed treatment options and support your journey toward recovery.
References
- Vernino S, Stiles LE. Autoimmunity in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: current understanding. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2021.
- Raj SR, et al. Canadian Cardiovascular Society Position Statement on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Related Disorders. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2020.
- Hadanny A, Efrati S. The hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox and regenerative effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Biomedicines. 2020.
- Zilberman-Itskovich S, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves neurocognitive function in post-COVID condition. Scientific Reports. 2022.
