Hearing loss is often viewed as an inevitable consequence of aging. However, recent research indicates that certain lifestyle elements may influence the risk of hearing impairment. Cigarette smoking is one of them – both active and passive.
Researchers from the University of Manchester analyzed data on over 164. British people aged 40-69 who have undergone hearing tests in 2007-2010.
Current smokers had 15 percent. higher risk of hearing loss compared to non-smokers in general. On the other hand, people defined as passive smokers had 28 percent. a higher risk of hearing impairment than those who were not exposed to tobacco smoke at all.
‘We’ve shown that the more packages you smoke each week and the longer you burn, the greater the risk of hearing damage,’ comments Dr Piers Dawes, who led the study. According to him, if you take into account that approx. 20 percent. In the UK population smoke cigarettes, and in other countries this figure is as high as 60%, smoking may be a significant cause of deafness worldwide.
For now, scientists do not know whether the toxic substances in cigarette smoke directly damage hearing, or whether smoking-induced cardiovascular disease causes changes in the small vessels that negatively affect the hearing aid, or both.