RevitalizeMe
Hyperbaric Oxygen & Wound Care
3200 Cabaret Trail S., Suite 3 | Saginaw, MI 48603
(989) 320-4434 | HyperbaricWoundCare.com
(989) 320-4434 | HyperbaricWoundCare.com
Clinical Evidence Summary
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss & HBOT
UHMS Recognized — Time-Critical
| Most Private Payors
Urgent
Refer within 14 days — outcomes decline sharply with delay
Cochrane Review, 2012
2x
Greater hearing recovery when HBOT combined with steroids
Rhee et al., Laryngoscope 2006
10–15
HBOT sessions typically needed in SSHL protocol
UHMS Indications Manual
30dB+
Loss over 3 frequencies in ≤72 hrs defines SSHL
AAO-HNS Clinical Guidelines
Clinical Overview
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is a medical emergency defined as ≥30 dB loss across 3 frequencies within 72 hours. The cochlea is exquisitely sensitive to hypoxia — the stria vascularis demands a continuous, high oxygen supply, and even brief ischemia produces permanent hair cell death. HBOT is the only treatment that directly addresses cochlear hypoxia, delivering therapeutic oxygen levels to the inner ear. Time is tissue — outcomes decline significantly beyond 14 days from onset.
Key Published Evidence
Laryngoscope — Controlled Clinical Study
Rhee et al. demonstrated that HBOT combined with steroid therapy produced significantly greater audiometric recovery than steroids alone in SSHL patients. Patients treated within 2 weeks showed the greatest improvement, particularly in severe-to-profound loss.
Rhee TM, et al. Laryngoscope. 2006;116(7):1159–1162.
Cochrane Database Systematic Review
A Cochrane systematic review of HBOT for SSHL found that HBOT significantly improved hearing in patients treated within 14 days of onset, with meaningful pure-tone audiometry gains. Authors concluded HBOT is a viable adjunct to corticosteroid therapy in acute SSHL.
Bennett MH, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(10):CD004739.
Clinical Urgency Note
Refer immediately upon diagnosis. HBOT efficacy in SSHL is highly time-dependent. Patients referred within 2 weeks have substantially better outcomes than those referred after 30 days. Our team can see urgent SSHL referrals same day or next business day.
UHMS Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Indications, 14th Edition.
How HBOT Works
1
Increases perilymph oxygen tension — directly oxygenating ischemic cochlear tissue
2
Rescues reversibly injured hair cells before permanent degeneration occurs
3
Reduces endolymphatic hydrops and inner ear edema
4
Acts synergistically with systemic corticosteroids
Ideal Referral Candidate
SSHL diagnosed within the past 14 days — refer urgently
Incomplete recovery after systemic steroid course
Severe to profound unilateral hearing loss
Idiopathic SSHL — viral, vascular, or autoimmune etiology
Standard HBOT Protocol
Pressure
2.0–2.4 ATA
Duration
90 min/session
Sessions
10–20 dives
Timing
Urgent — ASAP