HBOT for Sudden Hearing Loss
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a medical emergency. Treatment is led by an ENT doctor, usually with steroids, and works best when it starts early. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a recognised add-on to steroid treatment, and timing matters: guidelines consider it within 2 weeks of the hearing loss, or within 1 month if first treatment has not been enough.
If your hearing dropped suddenly in the last few days and you have not seen a doctor yet, please see an ENT doctor or go to a hospital emergency department today. Do not wait to arrange HBOT first.
Medically reviewed by Dr Stephen Chu, Medical Director, Aquila Medical Center (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Master of Surgery). Last reviewed September 2026.
What counts as sudden hearing loss
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a drop in hearing that develops over 72 hours or less, usually in one ear. The cause lies in the inner ear or the hearing nerve, not in a blockage such as wax or fluid. Doctors confirm it with a hearing test (audiogram); the usual definition is a loss of at least 30 decibels across three neighbouring frequencies.
People often notice:
- A muffled or blocked feeling in one ear
- Hearing loss noticed on waking, or suddenly during a phone call
- Ringing or buzzing in the ear (tinnitus)
- Dizziness or a spinning sensation in some cases
See an ENT doctor urgently if
- Your hearing dropped over hours to a few days
- It affects one ear and is not explained by a cold or wax
- You have ringing, dizziness or a full feeling in the ear
Seek emergency care immediately if hearing drops in both ears, or comes with facial drooping, weakness, severe headache, confusion or difficulty speaking.
An add-on to steroids, not a replacement
Treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss is directed by an ENT doctor. Steroids, given as tablets or as injections through the eardrum, are the main treatment. The 2019 clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery lists HBOT combined with steroid therapy as an option in two situations. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is also among the indications recognised by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.
Initial treatment
HBOT together with steroids, started within 2 weeks of the hearing loss.
Salvage treatment
HBOT together with steroids within 1 month of onset, when hearing has not recovered fully after first treatment.
Never on its own
HBOT is used alongside steroids, not instead of them. The guideline does not support HBOT as the only treatment.
Why oxygen, and what studies show
The inner ear has a small blood supply and is sensitive to low oxygen. HBOT raises the amount of oxygen carried in the blood, which is thought to support the inner ear while it recovers.
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery found that adding HBOT to steroid treatment was associated with better hearing outcomes than steroids alone. The studies it drew on differ in size, design and protocol, and other researchers have questioned how the results were weighted, so the outcome for any one person cannot be predicted.
Across studies, earlier treatment is generally linked to a better chance of recovery. That is why the date your hearing changed is the first thing we ask.
What HBOT will not do
- Replace an ENT assessment or steroid treatment
- Guarantee that hearing returns
- Treat long-standing hearing loss or age-related hearing loss
- Treat long-standing tinnitus on its own
How it works here
Step 1
Message us
Tell us the date your hearing changed, your ENT doctor’s treatment plan, and share your latest hearing test if you have one.
Step 2
Doctor assessment
We check timing, your steroid treatment, your ears and ability to equalise pressure, your lungs and your medicines. If HBOT is not suitable, or the window has passed, we will tell you.
Step 3
Treatment course
Sessions take place in our upright hard-shell chamber at up to 2.0 ATA. Published protocols usually involve around 10 to 20 sessions, often daily. Your course is agreed with you and reviewed as you go.
Step 4
Hearing follow-up
Your ENT doctor repeats your hearing test at the end of treatment and again within 6 months, as the guideline recommends.
We work alongside your ENT doctor. Please continue the steroid treatment they have prescribed.
Ear pressure and other checks
HBOT pressurises the chamber, so your ears need to equalise as the pressure rises, much like during a flight. We teach equalisation beforehand and increase pressure gradually.
Tell us if you have had injections through the eardrum, ear surgery, a perforated eardrum, a cold or blocked nose, or ongoing dizziness. These can change the timing of sessions or whether HBOT is suitable.
Most side effects of HBOT are mild, with ear pressure the most common. Read our full HBOT safety information.
Fees
Sessions are S$160 nett for 60 minutes or S$250 nett for 120 minutes. The S$120 consultation is waived when you proceed with HBOT.
MediSave and MediShield Life are not accepted. Some private insurance plans, such as Cigna, may cover HBOT depending on your policy and the medical reason, so please check with your insurer before starting.
Sudden hearing loss and HBOT: common questions
Is it too late for HBOT if my hearing loss started weeks ago?
The guideline considers HBOT with steroids within 1 month of onset. Beyond that, evidence of benefit is weak, and we will tell you honestly if we do not think it is worthwhile.
Can HBOT replace steroids?
No. HBOT is an add-on to steroid treatment prescribed by your ENT doctor, not a substitute for it.
Will my hearing come back?
Nobody can promise that. Some people recover fully, some partly and some not at all. Outcomes depend on how severe the loss is, how soon treatment starts and other individual factors. Hearing tests by your ENT doctor are how progress is measured.
Do I need a referral?
You can contact us directly. We will ask for your ENT doctor’s findings and hearing test so that treatment can be coordinated with them.
Can HBOT help tinnitus on its own?
HBOT is not an established treatment for long-standing tinnitus on its own. This page is about sudden sensorineural hearing loss, where ringing often appears together with the hearing drop.
Sources for this page
- Chandrasekhar SS, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Sudden Hearing Loss (Update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2019. Read the guideline
- Joshua TG, Ayub A, Wijesinghe P, Nunez DA. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Patients With Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022;148(1):5–11. PubMed
- American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. Sudden hearing loss guideline update: fact sheet. entnet.org
- Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Indications.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a guarantee of outcome. Sudden hearing loss needs prompt assessment by an ENT doctor. Suitability for HBOT is decided after individual medical assessment.
Hearing changed recently?
Message us with the date it started and your ENT doctor’s plan. We will tell you whether HBOT is worth adding, and if it is not, we will say so.