Have you experienced sudden hearing loss? It’s scary when you suddenly lose your hearing, whether it’s in one ear or both. However, one of the best things you can do is get into a hyperbaric chamber. Here’s a closer look at what sudden deafness is, and how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can treat it.
What is Sudden Deafness?
Sudden deafness, or sensorineural sudden hearing loss (SSHL), occurs when you quickly lose your hearing. This generally happens in one ear and may occur instantly or over several days. SSHL is the most common type of hearing loss among adults between the ages of 30 and 60 years old, and around 4,000 cases of sudden deafness are diagnosed each year within the U.S.
According to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about half of the people who have sudden hearing loss will recover within two weeks if they receive hyperbaric treatment for hearing loss. However, for some people, the condition grows worse over time, particularly if they don’t receive prompt treatment.
What are the Symptoms of Sudden Deafness
Most people only experience hearing loss in one ear with sudden deafness. You might notice it right after waking up in the morning, or when you hold a phone up to the affected ear or use headphones. In some cases, you may even hear a popping sound before you lose hearing. Other common symptoms include the following: Trouble hearing sounds that are high-pitched Buzzing or ringing sounds in the ear known as tinnitus Difficulty following conversations in a group Dizziness Inability to hear well if there’s significant background noise Conversation sounds become muffled Balance difficulties span∘ Trouble hearing sounds that are high-pitched
∘ Buzzing or ringing sounds in the ear known as tinnitus
∘ Difficulty following conversations in a group
∘ Dizziness
∘ Inability to hear well if there’s significant background noise
∘ Conversation sounds become muffled
∘ Balance difficulties
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been recognized by the FDA and Medicare to help heal sudden hearing loss, including healing sensorineural hearing loss or conductive hearing loss. In essence, HBOT provides oxygen under pressure, during an HBOT treatment we will inject oxygen into your damaged nerve cells, helping to regrow the nerve fibers that have been injured. The challenge is that doctors often do not know why the nerve cells have been damaged, whether it’s because of a virus, or other factors.
However, researchers have discovered that patients who include oxygen therapy as part of their treatment were 61% more likely to enjoy complete recovery of their hearing. Although HBOT has been proven particularly useful as a nerve deafness treatment in those under the age of 60, we have seen patients of up to 75 years old recover their full hearing capacity from HBOT treatments.
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