"quit smoking ear" is the battle cry of ear specialists around the world. Recent study has shown that tobacco irritates the ears and apparently, ear surgery cannot reverse the effect. It also showed that smokers had worse hearing abilities than those who do not smoke even after surgery.
Ten years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association finished a study that showed the impact of smoking to hearing loss. According to the report, the damage is increased by the number of cigarettes smoked, the frequency of smoking and the time a smoker is exposed to tobacco smoke. Statistics show that 26% of smokers between 48-59 years of age suffer hearing loss or hearing impairment. This number is significantly different from non-smokers as they only comprise 16.1% who suffer from hearing loss. It was later found out that smokers have 70% risk of suffering hearing impairment.
Tobacco smoke does not only harm the ears, it harms almost the entire physical aspects of a person. It is widely known that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Statistics show that smoking causes 5.4 millions deaths around the world. According to the World Health Organization, this number will increase to as much as 8.3 million by 2030. Here is one more: there will be one billion deaths related to smoking by the 21st century.
Among other things, smoking causes cancer, emphysema, cardiovascular diseases, liver and lung deterioration, and other fatal illnesses. Another study has shown significant risk of hearing impairment or hearing loss for smokers as compared against people who do not smoke. This is not entirely new as there are claims of its probability in as early as the year 1875. Years ago, they did not have the technology to prove it. But now, recent studies have shown the correlation between smoking and hearing loss.
On another hand, second-hand smoke also poses danger to non-smokers. Second-hand smoke is acquired by non-smokers who hang around smokers and inhale the fumes blown by smokers. It was found out that these people have twice the amount of risk of having their hearing impaired compared to non-smokers who are free of passive smoke. Also, children who live with smokers for the first three years of their lives have twice the amount of risk to suffer hearing infections when they grow up.
The connection between hearing impairment and smoking is found in the addictive substance of tobacco called nicotine. Nicotine in itself is not destructive. It does not have any harmful effects to the body; it is just the substance that causes the smoking addiction. Nicotine restricts the blood flow to the ears and thus results to the damages. This cause possible permanent loss of hair cells that is significant in our hearing ability.
The "quit smoking Ear" is not a campaign that should evaporate into nothingness. This should be taken into serious consideration as smoking not only affects adults but children who have nothing to do with his bad habit. Worse, this affects even non-smokers who are trying to live a healthy life. Smokers should feel guilty that innocent people can get diseases that only they, the smokers, should get. Supporting this campaign will not only lessen the damages on human health but on the environment as well.
Smoking is fun. It can be enjoyable too. But there is only a fine line between what can be a fun and 'release from pressure' approach to something which can be unhealthy, expensive and fatal. Find out what differentiates the two worlds at Quit Smoking Ear
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