Objective To investigate the efficacy of press-needle therapy combined with intratympanic injection in treating patients with sudden hearing loss (SHL).

Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 157 SHL patients in the Nanchong Hospital of Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2021 to September 2024. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment method. Both groups received nerve nutrition therapy and dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection. The conventional group underwent intratympanic injection, while the combined group received press-needle therapy on the basis of the aforementioned treatment. The propensity score matching method was used to exclude confounding factors in baseline data, including gender, age, disease duration, affected ear side, classification of hearing loss, and comorbidities. Finally, 54 patients were included in each group. After 10 consecutive days of treatment, the inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), inner ear blood circulation indicators (diameter of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery, diameter of the internal auditory artery), pure tone audiometry thresholds, scores of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes, and the occurrence of adverse reactions (gastrointestinal discomfort, bleeding, transient dizziness, transient ear pain, etc.) were compared between the two groups.

Results After 10 days of treatment, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in both groups were lower than those before treatment, and the diameters of the anterior inferior cerebellar arteryand the internal auditory artery were larger than those before treatment; moreover, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the combined group were lower than those in the conventional group, and the diameters of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and the internal auditory artery were larger than those in the conventional group; all the differences mentioned above were statistically significant (P < 0.05). After 5 and 10 days of treatment, the pure tone audiometry thresholds in both groups were lower than those before treatment in the same group, with the lowest thresholds observed after 10 days of treatment; furthermore, the pure tone audiometry thresholds in the combined group after 5 and 10 days of treatment were lower than those in the conventional group; all the differences mentioned above were statistically significant (P < 0.05). After 10 days of treatment, the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores for symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, palpitations, and insomnia in both groups were lower than those before treatment; moreover, the scores of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes for the aforementioned symptoms in the combined group were lower than those in the conventional group; all the differences mentioned above were statistically significant (P < 0.05). During the treatment period, the total incidence of adverse reactions was 14.81% (8/54) in the combined group and 11.11% (6/54) in the conventional group, with no significant between-group difference (P>0.05).

Conclusion Press-needle therapy combined with intratympanic injection can effectively reduce inflammation, improve inner ear blood circulation and hearing status, alleviate clinical symptoms, and demonstrate good safety.