Yes, recent research has suggested that smokers are more susceptible to hearing loss than non-smokers. The prevalence of the hearing loss in smokers is directly proportional to the years of smoking and history of noise exposure.
Smoking affects your hearing health in a variety of ways. Cigarettes contain a lot of nasty chemicals, including formaldehyde, arsenic, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide and nicotine. Nicotine and carbon monoxide deplete oxygen levels and constrict blood vessels all over your body – including those in your inner ear responsible for maintaining hair cell health.
- Nicotine interferes with neurotransmitters in the auditory nerve, which are responsible for telling the brain which sound you are hearing.
- Nicotine can cause tinnitus, dizziness and vertigo.
- Smoking irritates the Eustachian tube and lining of the middle ear.
- Smoking damages cells in the body, turning them into free radicals that can damage DNA and cause disease.
- Smoking may also make you more sensitive to loud noises and therefore more susceptible to developing noise-induced hearing loss.
Passive smoking in childhood correlates with sensori-neural hearing loss, and it is an important risk factor for development of minimal hearing loss. Strict prevention of children exposure to second-hand smoke should be encouraged by every means.