ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO QUIT SMOKING
Written by: Shayne Taplin, L.H.A.S
We usually associate smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke with diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease. But, did you know that smoking and secondhand smoke are correlated with an increased chance of hearing loss. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, smokers are 70% more likely than non-smokers to suffer hearing loss, and those exposed to secondhand smoke are 1.94 times more likely to suffer hearing loss compared to non-smokers.
Cigarette smoke contains harmful chemicals that cause damage to the auditory nerve. These chemicals also affect the blood vessels all over your body, including those in your inner ear, reducing the flow of oxygen to those cells, thereby causing damage. The good news is that further damage can be reduced by quitting.
If you or a loved one currently smoke, have smoked in the past, or have been exposed to secondhand smoke, consider having your hearing evaluated by a hearing health care provider.
Today is the perfect day to quit smoking. Some resources to help are:
