Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) involves breathing pure oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressures in an enclosed chamber. This research article revealed the importance of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for diabetic olfactory neuropathies. In this therapy, pure oxygen is breathed in a pressurized room or tube to provide adequate supply of oxygen to function in the tissues of body.

Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy is recommended as an adjuvant therapy for diabetic neuropathy. To investigate olfactory dysfunction and show the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in patients with type 2 diabetic neuropathy.

Patients diagnosed with Type 2 DM and diabetic neuropathy were included in the group 1. Patients of Group 1 were administered with a hyperbaric oxygen therapy for 30 sessions and patients who returned for a checkup following 30 sessions were incorporated into the Group 2. Healthy volunteers with no medical problems were included in the study as a control group (Group 3). Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research (CCCRC) test and the subjective visual analog scale (VAS; 0-100) were utilized to evaluate the olfactory function. 

There was a statistically significant difference both between the control group and the patient group as well as before and after the HBO therapy in terms of total CCCRC scoring averages and VAS Scoring averages.

When compared to normal individuals, type 2 diabetic neuropathy can cause an olfactory dysfunction, and a statistically significant improvement in olfaction can be obtained with HBO therapy. This is the first study demonstrating that the HBO therapy can play a role in treating olfactory dysfunctions suffered by the patients with diabetic olfactory neuropathies.