Reviewed by Mr. Ranjeet Kumar
Sr. Audiologist, Speech Therapist & Cochlear Implant Specialist, BASLP on
Smoking and hearing loss both are health problems which can have a bad effect on our health. The difference is that smoking is caused by man himself and hearing loss sometimes comes naturally.
So what is the relation between smoking and hearing loss?
The answer is simple, Smoking has an indirect relation with hearing loss. The more you smoke, the more your hearing problem grows. Smoking each cigarette will have an adverse effect on your hearing capability.
You can purchase the latest hearing aids at a fair price through HearingSol, If you have any query regarding smoking cause Hearing Loss, feel free to call us at +91-9327901950. We are always here to help you.
In this article, we are going to aware you of how smoking not only affects your lungs but your hearing power too, and your loved ones.
Smoking And Hearing Loss
You already know that Smoking is injurious to health. You can see this on the front side of the cigarette packets.
According to the study, which suggests that 60% of people who are smoking by any instance in the world are most likely to have hearing loss.
We know that Cigarette contains nicotine which is a harmful chemical for our immunity and health. This chemical also affects our body parts like hair, nose, lung, ear, neck, etc; As Hearing problem concerns with ear, you can analyze that smoking has an indirect effect on hearing loss.
Cigarettes also have other chemicals like cyanide, nitrogen, etc; which is harmful to our health. These chemicals also have a bad effect on our ears. Our ears are so sensitive to these chemicals and can be defected by them.
Smoking Effects on Ears
Following are some problems that you might go through if you smoke:
1. Tinnitus
Nicotine causes dizziness and tinnitus, hence dizziness and tinnitus are linked. Dizziness is a form of weakness and tinnitus is the weakness of our ear.
Although more research is needed to finalize the exact effect of smoking on our ear. Sufficient evidence suggests that smoking causes tinnitus (Ringing in the ear) in our ear.
2. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Smoking increases our sensitivity to loud noises and therefore more likely to cause noise-induced hearing loss.
Results say that excessive smoking also a reason why people are used to loud noises. As we know nicotine, tobacco is very harmful to our health and body.
3. Ototoxic Instances
Smoking contains ototoxic (harmful chemicals for our ear). So when you smoke you invite these instances to flood your blood with dangerous chemicals which also affects our hearing capability.
4. DNA Damage
Smoking also causes our cells to free radical substances which can affect our DNA and cause cancer. Smoking causes hydrogen peroxide, hydroquinone to interfere with the DNA organs, and slowly damage the functionality of DNA, as a result of this, radical substances affect our lung cells and this causes cancer.
5. Auditory Nerve Interference
Nicotine or smoking can also affect the neurotransmitters of the auditory nerve which is responsible for telling the brain which sounds you hear. This receptor acts as an identifier of the sound for the brain.
When we smoke, these receptors are damaged by nicotine and they can’t be able to or clearly identify the sound which is passed in the ear. This affects people’s ability to understand the sound.
6. Middle Ear Infection (Ear Pain)
A middle ear infection is also caused by excessive smoking. If you smoke, there is a pressure building behind the ear that can cause pain in the ear.
It is a kind of pain in the ear also called (otitis media). The middle ear is a space behind the eardrum which is connected to the throat through a passageway called the eustachian tube. When this tube is being blocked by some allergy like fluid, glue than this results in the possible pain in our ear.
Middle ear pain is very common in children. When we smoke, the particles like nicotine, cyanide, carbon mono oxide, etc; blocks this passageway (Eustachian tube) which results in severe pain in the ear.
Childhood Ear Infections Due To Parental Smoking
Ear infections in children are very common because of their nature. This disease is also called middle ear disease. Childhood ear infections are strongly related to parental smoking.
It is an indirect or passive effect of smoking on the children. Moreover, if your child is an infant, then the risk of danger will increase significantly. This is also called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
If you have a baby in your house, you should make sure that no-one smokes in or outside your house otherwise this could lead to a possible hearing deficiency in your child in later stages of the lifecycle.
Babies are more sensitive to smoking than older children.
Facts:- According to study kids living with a smoker have a 37% probability that they could be affected by their parent’s smoking but this probability increases to 62% if a smoker is his/her mother.
Within this 62% of kids, 86% of kids are likely to undergo middle ear surgery.
Most of the parents are unaware of this matter so, ultimately they weaken their children’s hearing capability. So this is a big question every parent should ask:-
“If I quit smoking, how this can prevent my children’s hearing loss?.” As a result of this fact, many parents realize that they should stop or reduce the consumption of tobacco for the betterment of their children and for themselves as well.
If your child has some form of ear infection, quit smoking can definitely help to prevent future infections that may be developed in their ears otherwise.
E-Cigarette Smoking & Hearing Loss
Smoking E-cigarette can also or equally affect your hearing. The chemicals used in the E-cigarette are also ototoxic (toxic to the ear) which can damage our sensory organs when we smoke E-cigarette.
This process also called Vaping. When we smoke E-cigarette then we inhale vapors that are released by E-cigarette.
As we know E-cigarette is a battery-operated object which uses a heating element to release these ototoxic substances. One of these substances is nicotine which is common in smoking.
In the context of E-cigarette, nicotine is presented as vape juice. The scientific name of vape juice is propylene glycol which is an alcohol-based solvent that is also ototoxic chemical or harmful chemical for our ears.
The craze of E-cigarette is also growing among people unaware of the fact that this can also lead them to a hearing problem.
However, People think that E-cigarette is an alternative solution to the traditional cigarette that is been free of any smoking hazard.
The dangers of E-cigarette to people is not compromised by the fact that this product can easily be accessed by teens and other young children.
They can buy them online claiming that they are 18 years old above. But the reality is that it is illegal to buy E-Cigarette if you are a minor.
So, if you think E-cigarette is safe to any health or hearing deficiency than think twice.
Facts Regarding Smoking & Hearing Loss
- There are also very interesting facts that suggest smoking causes a hearing problem. Smokers are 70% more likely to have hearing loss as compared to non-smokers
- People who live with smokers are 28% more likely to have a hearing problem than those who don’t regularly find themselves exposed to cigarette smoke.
- 60% of people in the world are somehow likely to develop hearing loss by consuming nicotine.
- Those people who consume tobacco more than 10 hours per week are more likely to be affected by hearing loss.
- Adolescents who consume secondhand tobacco are more likely to develop hearing loss. A study says that adolescents who are exposed to secondhand tobacco are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop hearing loss.
Precautions To Take
- Quit smoking as early as possible to reduce any further damage to your ear. People need to be aware of the effect that smoking also causes hearing loss.
- Spread Awareness programs to communities and describe the harms of smoking to the hearing loss.
- As nicotine causes hearing loss, avoid anything which includes these harmful chemicals. This also includes (bidi, gutkha, cigars, hukkas, etc ;). These smoking objects also include tobacco, carbon which are harmful to our health as to our ears.
- Ear pain is very common in adolescents or children. Parents should take this matter seriously to avoid any further damage to their children’s hearing capability.
- Despite the dangers of smoking to our health, there is also good news for smokers to quit smoking, they can think that it is not too late to quit smoking. According to the research, if you quit smoking, your hearing capability will also improve significantly. As you already know that smoking has an adverse effect on your hearing, But if you go reverse to this fact that it can also affect your hearing capability in a positive direction.
Conclusion
In the end, we can say that “ STOP SMOKING, START HEARING “ as the phrase suggests, we conclude the fact that smoking is related to hearing loss.
Although people are not aware of this factor more likely to take this matter rather not seriously. But this is a growing concern and needs to be determined by the people.
If you think that you or your loved one who really affected by hearing loss caused by smoking than feel free to call our toll free number +91-9327901950. We will try our best to solve your problem and gives you proper treatment whenever necessary.