The addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, along with steroid administration in recovering from sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the efficiency of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy alongside the administration of steroids, as treatment for adults suffering from idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss, as a comparison to the use of steroids only. Sensorineural hearing loss is a disorder that is identified by the absence of 30db or more for a period longer than 72 hours. Previous studies show that the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy where the oxygen levels in the atmosphere are very high at 100% oxygen aids in the healing of the injury within the ear. Due to the presence of inflammation, steroid administration is also another method of healing and hence, this study was built around the question of whether a combination of the two therapies together aid more efficiently in the recovery, rather than the administration of steroids only. Research question: In patients suffering from sensorineural hearing loss (P), does the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy alongside the use of steroids (I)improve the loss of hearing (O)more than the administration of steroids (C)on their own? Method: A combination of three databases were utilised for the literature search for this study including: EBSCO, PubMed and Advanced Google Scholar. The articles included were limited to those published within the last 10 years and limited to being published only in English. A total of six articles were considered relevant to this study which involved two randomised controlled trials (RCT’s) and four cohort studies, three were retrospective studies and one prospective study. The CASP tool was utilised to apprais the quality of the studies retrieved. Conclusion: No conclusive answer was achieved for the research question of this study as the literature was not consistent in terms of outcome. Recommendations were included in aspects of awareness and education for healthcare professionals, the patients, and the general public. There is the need for further research for answer to be more conclusive.