Effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen on sudden sensorineural hearing loss: prospective clinical research.

The role of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is still controversial. In this study, 80 patients were treated for SSNHL. Fifty-five patients who received HBO and medical treatment and 25 patients who received medical treatment only were studied. There was a statistically significant difference between the HBO and medical treatment group and the medical treatment group for hearing gain and the degree of hearing loss after treatment (p<.05). In the HBO and medical treatment group, patients with tinnitus showed the highest hearing improvement. The patients who had tinnitus had a statistically significant difference for hearing gain in the HBO and medical treatment group (p<.05) but not in the medical treatment group (p>.05). In the HBO and medical treatment group, average hearing gain on each audiometric frequency was better than in the medical treatment group (p<.05).