I'm not sure I'm following you here. What do you mean by individual cylinders?
Sudden and complete hearing loss from freediving. No "pop," no pain but now deaf in one ear for more than a week.
- Thread starter chris_b
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TNEngineer
Contributor
The one-person cylindrical chambers that use 100% O2 ambient, as opposed to (typically sit-up) room style chambers that use standard air at pressure and only provide 100% O2 through masks for the multiple participants.
TNEngineer
Contributor
Here is just one article describing oxygen uptake by the skin. Granted it speaks only to the effect on the skin itself (which helps explain wound efficacy at 100% O2) but perhaps that's not the only benefit...?
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The cutaneous uptake of atmospheric oxygen contributes significantly to the oxygen supply of human dermis and epidermis
It has been known since 1851 that atmospheric oxygen is taken up by the human epidermis. The contribution to total respiration is negligible. Until now the significance for the local oxygen supply of the skin has remained unknown. With a newly developed ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ah ok. The individual cylinders you're talking about are monoplace hyperbaric chambers. There's a huge difference between those and the "mild hyperbaric" chambers that you find in the nail salons and spas. The latter are pressurized to maybe 1.3-1.5 ATA with air, and may or may not deliver oxygen via mask. They have fancy websites that use the literature on true hyperbaric oxygen, which is delivered with 100% O2 at at least 2.0 ATA, to advertise their products. They are ineffective, very poorly regulated, and become extremely dangerous when they use O2. Monoplace hyperbaric chambers are used for clinical hyperbaric oxygen; many can go to 2.8 ATA / 60 fsw.
Best regards,
DDM
That's about when the topical O2 phenomenon started. It doesn't penetrated deeply into the tissues and there's not much literature to support it. Here's a link to the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) position statement on topical O2; it's from 2005 but not a lot has changed w/r to clinical evidence for it.Here is just one article describing oxygen uptake by the skin. Granted it speaks only to the effect on the skin itself (which helps explain wound efficacy at 100% O2) but perhaps that's not the only benefit...?
The cutaneous uptake of atmospheric oxygen contributes significantly to the oxygen supply of human dermis and epidermis
It has been known since 1851 that atmospheric oxygen is taken up by the human epidermis. The contribution to total respiration is negligible. Until now the significance for the local oxygen supply of the skin has remained unknown. With a newly developed ...
Best regards,
DDM
I also had ISSNHL, while getting in a taxi on the way to the airport for a dive trip to Cayman Brac.. No hearing in right ear. No treatment for about 10 days until I could get to my ENT after the trip. They refused HBOT as too late and not allowed. Prednisone shots to inner ear. Hearing has returned BUT NOT SPEECH COMPREHENSION. I score much lower now on word comprehension tests in that ear than in my other ear.
TNEngineer
Contributor
Yes, long thin needle.Injections into your ear?!?
That's what has me really concerned--the ENT seemed to think it was fine to just do an additional 6 days of 60mg prednisone (which would put me at 9 days on 60mg and nearly three weeks post-incident), taper to 20mg for two days, then see him for a follow up 2-3 days after that (putting me well over three weeks post incident). Even though he said it was very likely PLF, surgery and bed rest weren't even on his radar. He said this type of case is so rare that there isn't a protocol for it. I printed out the two articles I attached upthread, highlighted the sections mentioning the urgency of surgery for suspected PLF resulting from barotrauma, and asked the receptionist to scan them into my chart. Not holding my breath (haha!) for a follow-up on that.
I'm very worried my window of opportunity for regaining my hearing is rapidly dwindling--the technician who did my audiogram yesterday said something along the lines of "wow, your left ear is completely trashed." Maybe the test results will spur some faster action?
Anyway I did locate an otologist here on Oahu and I've circled back with my PCP to try to get a referral directly to him--from his website it looks like he is more likely to be up to date on how to handle a case like mine.
Big thanks @Duke Dive Medicine for the feedback and info!
TNEngineer
Contributor
Thinking positively... my wife's doctors said the odds of recovery are much better within two weeks. They very clearly DIDN'T say that, after exactly 14 days, all hope was lost. So there's a sliding scale that goes asymptotic, not brick wall to zero.
No one is a stronger advocate than yourself. Keep at it. Please report back!
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