Whether you smoke regularly or occasionally, smoking can have widespread effects on your health. You may be surprised to learn, however, that there’s also a connection between smoking and hearing loss. Let’s discuss how.
Nicotine and Smoke
Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical found in cigarettes, cigars and most vaping devices. It’s what makes quitting smoking so difficult. It stimulates feelings of relaxation and well-being and also constricts blood vessels, raising blood pressure and slowing blood flow throughout the body.
At the same time, inhaling smoke reduces the amount of oxygen you intake, meaning your body has less oxygen to work with. The increased heart rate and blood pressure from nicotine, plus the decrease in blood oxygen levels, have ripple effects throughout the body, as your organs and muscles require healthy blood flow to function.
How This Affects the Ear
Just like the other organs in your body, the cochlea—the main organ in the auditory system, located in the inner ear—requires healthy blood flow. Reduced blood flow from the constricted vessels and less-oxygenated blood can cause long-lasting damage to the cochlea. When the cells of the cochlea are damaged, they cannot heal themselves. They also cannot grow back if they die.
What the Science Says
This 2013 study of 148 subjects—both smoking and non-smoking—found that smoking was significantly associated with hearing loss. 65.7% of the smokers had hearing loss, while only 15% of the non-smokers did, and the severity of their hearing loss was greater for the smokers.
This 2022 study researched the association between quitting smoking and hearing loss. Optimistically, it found that people who used to smoke but quit measured better on hearing tests than current smokers, indicating that quitting may have benefits for hearing health.
Signs of Hearing Damage
If the cochlear cells have been damaged, there are a few signs you may notice:
- Turning the volume up on the television
- Asking people to repeat themselves more frequently
- Sounds seem muffled or quiet
- Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds, such as children’s voices
- Difficulty following conversations, even though you can hear the words
- Tinnitus
Note that these are the symptoms of hearing loss, whether your hearing was damaged by smoking or another cause, such as exposure to loud noise or aging. However, if you’re a smoker, you should be more alert for these symptoms.
If you do notice any signs of hearing damage, it’s a good idea to seek out an audiologist for a hearing examination. This will determine the extent of the damage and how you might go about treating it. Hearing loss is not reversible, but it is treatable. Call us today to learn more or to make an appointment.