It is common knowledge that tobacco consumption puts our health at risk and that smoking damages our bodies and is the leading cause of a number of diseases, but did you know that smoking can also affect your hearing?
The link between smoking and hearing loss
Several studies have linked smoking with hearing loss, revealing that tobacco smoke decreases blood flow. The subsequent reduction in oxygen reaching the inner ear can causes damage and affect our hearing.
Moreover, the American Cancer Society warns of the danger of exposure to tobacco smoke, which is responsible for more than 750,000 middle ear infections in the United States alone. In addition to this risk, smoking is also listed as a risk factor for tinnitus.
Smokers are 60% more likely to suffer hearing issues
The latest study on the effects of tobacco and the increased likelihood of hearing loss was published in the Nicotine & Tobacco Research journal in 2018.
For the research, a mix of 50,195 smokers and non-smokers between the ages of 20-64 with no reported hearing issues were followed for 8 years. They underwent regular health tests and screening, which included hearing tests and in-depth questions on their lifestyle. Over the 8 years that the study lasted, 3,532 participants began to suffer high-frequency hearing loss, while 1,575 developed low-frequency hearing loss. Researchers concluded that smokers have a 60% greater likelihood of suffering hearing loss.
Hearing issues increase in direct proportion to tobacco consumption
If we analyse precious research, we find that a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 revealed that smokers had a 70% greater risk of suffering hearing loss than non-smokers.
An article on the Hear-it website details the study, in which 3,573 participants aged between 48 and 92 years of age where divided into three groups: smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers. According to the study, 25.9% of smokers between 48-59 suffered hearing loss compared to only 16.1% of non-smokers. In the case of ex-smokers, hearing loss rates stood at 22.7%. This trend was mirrored in the older age group.
The study concluded that the risk of suffering hearing issues increased in direct proportion to the intensity and duration of exposure to tobacco smoke. What’s more, it also revealed that passive smokers were 1.94 times more likely to suffer from hearing problems than non-smokers who did not live with smokers.
How tobacco smoke affects young people
Other researchers studied the effect of exposure to tobacco smoke on younger people. This study published in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2013 centred on the risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss. 964 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 took part in the research, which analysed their family medical history and exposure to tobacco smoke.
All participants underwent tests to check their hearing and blood cotinine levels. When comparing passive smokers with non-smokers, the data gathered showed that adolescents regularly exposed to cigarette smoke had higher levels of hearing loss at both high and low frequencies.
As had happened in the research carried out in 1998, the information gathered in this study also proved that the greater the exposure to cigarette smoke, the greater the level of hearing loss. It also showed that this hearing loss in young passive smokers exposed to the smoke of adult smokers could lead to them being more easily distracted at school and experiencing greater learning difficulties.
Another reason to quit smoking
We have known for years that tobacco does not only affect smokers, but also impacts on the lives of the people around them, known as passive smokers. Exposure to cigarette smoke also causes many of them to suffer the health issues associated with smoking.
While many policies and cessation services designed to control nicotine and tobacco addiction have been implemented throughout the world in recent years, the WHO states in its Report on the global tobacco epidemic published in 2019 that they must be stepped up.
Now that you know that hearing loss is yet another health issue caused by smoking, are you going to try to quit?
You can do it! With specialist help and willpower, you can improve your (hearing) health and that of everyone around you.
Leave a comment below!
Double trouble:
For many people, smoking and drinking go together like bread and butter. It is
well known that smoking and drinking at the same time significantly increases the
risk of various types of cancer.
Tobacco is commonly found in:
Cigarettes
Cigars
Pipes
Shishas
Tobacco smoking is the practice of smoking tobacco and inhaling tobacco smoke
It contains the highly addictive stimulant alkaloid nicotine as well as harmala
alkaloids. Nicotine is the harshest chemical in the entire smoking process.
Smoking leads to a chain reaction that creates dozens of carcinogenic compounds.
These compounds in the cigarette smoke pass through lips, tongue, mouth, down
the throat to lungs causing inflammation in the above body parts and eventually
reach the bloodstream and spread carcinogenic compounds to the remaining
parts of the body.
A 2020 study found that daily smokers and former daily smokers reported
higher levels of bodily pain compared to those who smoked occasionally.
Adverse effects of smoking:
Decreases appetite and food intake
Decreases blood oxygen, reducing endurance during physical activity
Interferes with sleep
Increases stress hormone levels
Heart Ailments
ALCOHOL
Alcohol is a toxic and psychoactive substance with dependence producing
properties. Harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of
diseases.
Alcohol impacts the different functions of the body. When consumed, it is broken
down into large amounts of toxic chemical acetaldehyde. This chemical raises
levels of estrogen (an important growth hormone and development of breast
tissue), causes abnormal activation of digestive enzymes, inflammation of the
liver and so on. Best cancer hospitals have concluded after ample evidences that
alcohol damages and affects stem cell DNA. Due to this, the DNA may get
rearranged or permanently damaged.
Adverse effects of regular consumption of Alcohol
Decreases nutrients available to the body
Reduces capacity for physical activity, exercise and increases the risk of
injury
Interferes with love and support in primary relationships
Increases exposure to toxic chemicals
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I still in shock by knowing that usage of tobacco leads to hearing loss. Would love to read more on that. I hope i don’t be victim of this. I need to switch to vape products asap. Today getting myself my first vape i.e uwell caliburn pods
Thank you Ehtisham for sharing your experience with us. Tobacco smoke reduces blood flow to the inner ear, that’s mainly the risk of hearing loss. We recommend you to read this article: https://blog.kiversal.com/en/ototoxic-food-tinnitus/ to learn more about the foods you should avoid.
That’s why people have turned to vaping.
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, reports conclude that there’s actually a direct link between vaping and tinnitus.
This blog proves very helpful for me by knowing about the risk of smoking. Now i am fully aware. Thank you for your information.
Thank you Dino!