Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy finally approved for the treatment of sudden hearing loss!

“Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is the newest indication approved by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Committee” Sound research combined with clinical efficacy has bolstered the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for this condition. It gives us new hope in the hyperbaric industry that more conditions can follow and get recognized for the many indications that have been shown in recent literature, combined with the results seen in many of the private hyperbaric centers throughout the world <view study>

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sudden hearing loss

59 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss were given hyperbaric oxygen therapy and all improved. However, if given within the first 14 days following hearing loss, better prognosis was noted <view study>

Hearing loss — Don’t despair if Corticosteroid therapy fails

Following the diagnosis of sudden hearing loss, corticosteroid therapy is typically recommended immediately with favorable results. However, for those that do not respond to this therapy, there is now hope with the addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This simple and safe procedure has helped in many cases of hearing loss, particularly for those that have failed with corticosteroid therapy <view study>

Hyperbaric Oxygen increases BDNF — A hot topic in brain regenerative therapies

BDNF is a very powerful protein that is released by your body in the efforts to stimulate the production of brand new brain cells (neurogenesis). This protein is vital to learning, memory, and higher thinking. Moreover, the expression of this protein is significantly reduced in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. With this understanding, research is now pouring in to help us gain a better understanding of BDNF and its role in brain plasticity and regeneration. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been noted for its brain regenerative effects, and this new study supports this notion. Researchers used a lower pressure of 1.5 ATA along with 2.0 ATA, and found that both pressures were able to cause significant increases in BDNF in just 3 to 5 days of consecutive HBOT sessions. “The BDNF concentration increased in a highly significant manner after three consecutive HBO treatments up to 43.94 ng/mL (p < 0.001) and after five HBO treatments up to 51.63 (p < 0.001) when compared to the BDNF concentration after one HBO treatment”. With respect to this study, the purpose was to demonstrate the potential benefits of adding HBOT to cochlear implantation as a promising adjunct treatment for hearing loss. <view study>

Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy for acute acoustic trauma

Review of literature from 2004 to 2019 show significant improvements when hyperbaric oxygen therapy is administered following acoustic trauma. Typically, first line therapy is to provide corticosteroid therapy and if no response is seen in 7 days, then hyperbaric therapy should immediately be deployed <view study>