Recent Studies on Hyperbaric Therapy for Acute Hearing Loss

Acute acoustic trauma (AAT) and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) are prevalent causes of inner ear dysfunction—particularly impactful for populations like military personnel, who face elevated risk of AAT from impulse noise (e.g., firearms, 90–130 dB). While these conditions often lack highly effective treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a promising intervention, supported by decades of clinical data.

A 15-year retrospective study from the Czech Military Health Service (covering 2004–2019, 141 affected ears with AAT) demonstrated that early treatment initiation (within 7 days of trauma) correlated with significantly higher hearing improvement rates (e.g., 74% improvement in ears treated within 7 days, vs. 53% for later treatment). Notably, HBOT (used alongside corticosteroids in one cohort) enhanced recovery—especially for severe sensorineural loss at frequencies up to 6000 Hz—leading researchers to frame HBOT as a "rescue therapy" for AAT, with a recommendation to start corticosteroids immediately post-trauma, and HBOT if no improvement occurs within 7 days.

A narrative review of 68 studies on HBOT for acute hearing loss further reinforces these findings: it highlights HBOT’s rationale (targeting cochlear oxygen deprivation, a key mechanism in AAT/ISSHL) and concludes that early intervention (preferably within 48 hours) and combination therapy (HBOT + corticosteroids) optimize outcomes. While definitions of "recovery" vary across studies (complicating cross-study comparisons), the cumulative evidence supports HBOT as a viable optional therapy for AAT and ISSHL—warranting shared decision-making between clinicians and patients.

Together, these works underscore HBOT’s role in mitigating acute hearing impairment: timeliness of care and multimodal treatment are critical to improving functional outcomes for affected individuals.