What Researchers Did
Researchers compared standard medication treatment alone to standard treatment plus hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss treated within the first two weeks of onset.
What They Found
This randomized controlled trial of 51 hospitalized patients found significantly greater hearing gains in the group that received HBO added to standard treatment compared to the group that received standard treatment alone, at four of the five frequencies tested (250, 500, 1,000, and 4,000 Hz), with no significant difference at 2,000 Hz. Twenty-one patients received steroids, dextran, diazepam, pentoxifylline, and salt restriction alone, while 30 patients received the same treatment plus HBO. Hearing was measured at five frequencies (250 to 4,000 Hz) before and after treatment. Within the group receiving standard treatment alone, there was no statistically significant difference in hearing gain across age groups.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, this study suggests that adding HBO to standard drug treatment may improve hearing recovery at most tested frequencies compared to drug treatment alone. All patients in this study began treatment within the first two weeks of symptom onset, so these results apply specifically to that early treatment window and do not address outcomes when treatment starts later.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The study had a modest sample size split unevenly between groups (21 versus 30 patients) and only evaluated patients treated within the first two weeks of onset, so it does not show whether HBO helps when started later.