The two main causes of hearing loss are, first, simply getting older and, second, being exposed to excessive, loud noise. People who smoke are more at risk of hearing loss due to both causes.
just the facts
When researchers tested the hearing of a large group of older Americans, they found that the smokers were 70% more likely than the nonsmokers to have difficulty hearing. (1)
Sources 1. Cruickshanks KJ, Klein R, Klein BE, Wiley TL, Nondahl DM, Tweed TS. Cigarette smoking and hearing loss: the epidemiology of hearing loss study. Journal of the American Medical Association 1998;279:1715-1719.
explanation
Among middle-aged and elderly people, those who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to have age-related hearing loss. When researchers tested the hearing of a large group of older Americans, they found that the smokers were 70% more likely than the nonsmokers to have difficulty hearing. (1) Similarly, among people who have been exposed to a lot of loud noise, such as those who work at airports or shipyards, the risk of hearing loss is higher in smokers than in nonsmokers.
Scientists aren't exactly sure how smoking makes hearing loss worse, but they think it may have something to do with blood flow to the ears. Like all the other cells of the body, the cells in the ear that help you to hear need a good blood supply in order to function properly. Smoking decreases the blood flow to these crucial cells.
The cells responsible for hearing may also be damaged by carbon monoxide, a poisonous substance found in cigarette smoke. Smokers have high levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. When blood containing carbon monoxide circulates to the ears, it may cause damage that can interfere with normal hearing.
