Sudden hearing loss is impairment to the sensory nerves of the ears, and develops over a period of a few hours to a few days. Out of 100,000 people, five to twenty people have this occur yearly. The most common reason for this loss is trauma to the eardrum. In the news, February 2006, a man is suing the makers of the popular i-Pod music device because of hearing damage he claims he suffered from putting the earbuds in his ears, turning the device on, and it blasting in his ears before he had a chance to turn it down. This is a very real concern, as are loud concerts our youth attend in droves. In older populations, already compromised nervous systems would predispose one to immediate hearing loss if trauma occurred.

Conventional treatment for sudden hearing loss remains drug intervention, hearing aids or nothing at all. A study of Eibach and Borger in 1980 showed that these types of measures may actually be more harmful than beneficial. The reason for this is that oxygen levels (necessary for healing) decrease when these types of interventions are applied.

There are many other causes of deafness, most involving insufficient blood flow to the area usually due to the same blood vessel blockages seen in cardiovascular disease. There are also approximately 130 drugs that are toxic to hearing.

The role of hyperbaric oxygen in disorders of the inner ear was done in 1969 where it was reported that 33 patients with a diagnosis of hypoxia of the inner ear improved after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The best results were obtained in a later study of 45 people with sudden deafness (1974) when 90% of patients studied showed improvement of hearing, and in 40% of these a normal hearing was achieved. Further studies in the 70's and 80's have validated the therapeutic usefulness of hyperbaric oxygen in sudden deafness.

At Dr. Steenblock's Clinic we strive to diagnose the reason for the sudden deafness and then apply appropriate therapies to counteract the problem, like hyperbaric oxygen therapy.