Therapeutic role of carbogen in impaired hearing
Chaturvedi, R.C.; Rai, R.M.; Sharma, R.K.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 92: 420-423
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 2127770 Document Number: 356142
The therapeutic role of carbogen was evaluated in subjects with sensorineural hearing loss by administering carbogen, a gas mixture of 95 per cent O2 and 5 per cent CO2, for seven consecutive days (30 min/day) and monitoring puretone audiometry before and after the administration. Significant improvement was observed both in air and bone conduction threshold levels on seventh day, indicating that there was some recoverable portion in the hearing level of these subjects. The improvements in hearing may be due to action of CO2 as an otic vasodilator coupled with supplementation of the O2 requirement of degenerating hair cells. Carbogen thus apppears to be useful in persons with impaired hearing, involving the inner ear.