Hearing Loss
Pneumatic External Counterpulsation (PECP): A New Treatment Option for Therapy-Resistant Inner Ear Disorders?
Offergeld, C, Werner, D, et al Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie û Otologie Abstract L-R-O 9
Pneumatic External Counterpulsation (PECP): A New Treatment Option for Therapy-Resistant Inner Ear Disorders?
Offergeld, C, Werner, D, et al Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie û Otologie Abstract L-R-O 9
In Germany, the standard therapy for sudden deafness and tinnitus (persistent ringing in the ears) involves drug therapy designed to improve blood flow to the inner ear. Werner's group had previously demonstrated an increase in carotid artery blood flow with EECP (described in Germany as PECP). In this study, 30 patients with acute hearing disorders and/or tinnitus, persisting despite standard drug therapy, received 5-10 one-hour EECP treatments. For the group, internal carotid (front of the brain) and vertebral artery (back of the brain) flow volume, measured by doppler ultrasound, increased during EECP by 19% & 11% respectively. Tinnitus decreased in 47% of the patients, by an average of 16 dB. Hearing threshold increased in 28%, on average by 19dB. Audiometry studies carried out post-treatment demonstrated that the improvement related to EECP persisted throughout a one-year follow-up period. Sudden hearing loss, in certain cases, appears to be related to a reduction in blood flow to the ear and/or the nerves that connect it to the brain. EECP has the potential to increase blood flow to any organ, and to permanently enhance flow via collateral formation. It makes sense that EECP would help here.
