What Researchers Did
Researchers in Slovakia evaluated HBOT as salvage therapy for 70 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss who had not responded to primary corticosteroid treatment within 1 to 3 months of onset.
What They Found
Patients with severe hearing loss greater than 60 dB showed statistically significant improvements, with mean gains of 14.5 dB in low, 11.2 dB in mid, and 13.2 dB in high frequencies. Over 54% of severely affected patients gained 5 dB or more. Patients with mild-to-moderate loss did not show significant benefit.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
HBOT may still benefit Canadian patients with severe sudden hearing loss even weeks after onset and after steroids have failed, suggesting a role for late salvage treatment that could prevent permanent profound deafness.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
Lack of a sham control group and heterogeneity in prior treatment regimens limit conclusions about whether HBOT independently drove the observed improvements.