New Study Links Smoking to Hearing Loss

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 15 /PRNewswire/ — A new study at the University of Wisconsin documents the link between hearing loss and cigarette smoking.

Research now shows smokers face nearly twice the risk of developing hearing loss as do nonsmokers. In addition, people regularly exposed to passive cigarette smoke also have an increased risk of hearing loss.

According to the American Council on Science and Health, smoking causes permanent damage to the body.

Research on the effects of smoking, particularly on the effects on hearing, continues to escalate. The Journal of the American Medical Association cites current smokers were 1.7 times more likely to have hearing loss as nonsmokers. This increased risk held true even for people who had no occupational history of exposure to noise.

Smoking could interfere with some chemicals that may be important to maintaining hearing function at optimal levels.