What Researchers Did
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in 51 patients with sudden hearing loss who had not responded to initial medical treatment.
What They Found
After hyperbaric oxygen treatment, the mean hearing threshold improved from 75.3 dB to 65.6 dB. Complete recovery was seen in 2 patients (3.9%), moderate in 2 patients (3.9%), and mild in 19 patients (37.25%), with 28 patients (54.9%) experiencing no recovery.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients experiencing sudden hearing loss that does not improve with initial medical treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy might be considered as an alternative option. Patients should discuss this potential treatment with their audiologist or ENT specialist to understand its limited efficacy and suitability.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted outside of Canada and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is the absence of a control group, which makes it difficult to definitively assess the independent efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen treatment.