Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In this study, the research team aimed to explore the therapeutic effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), its influence on patient prognosis, and its impact on hearing to provide valuable clinical evidence. METHODS: Ninety-four patients with NIHL admitted to The First People's Hospital of Changde City, Hunan, China, from May 2021 to January 2023 were selected for this retrospective analysis. Among them, 43 were given conventional treatment (control group) and 51 were given HBOT (observation group). The clinical efficacy, symptom improvement, and pure-tone hearing thresholds (PTHTs) at different frequencies were detected. All cases were followed up for 12 months to record the NIHL recurrence rates and hearing (hearing threshold), and their quality of life was investigated. RESULTS: The observation group had higher total effective rate and excellent rate and lower incidence of insomnia, tinnitus, and other symptoms than the control group (P < 0.05). PTHTs were lower in the observation group than in the control group at different frequencies (P < 0.05). Follow-up analysis showed no notable intergroup difference in the NHL recurrence rate (P > 0.05), but the hearing threshold was lower and the quality of life was better in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to conventional treatment, HBOT is effective in treating NIHL and can improve the hearing and coagulation function of patients and provide a reliable guarantee for their prognostic health.