01 Nov 2011
We all know the extreme health risks associated with
smoking but what about the general negative impact on
health.
Here at Amplifon, the world's leading hearing aid specialists,
we've been looking at the growing research regarding a link between
smoking and hearing problems.
Passive smoking has proved itself to be a
major negative health issue that affects millions of people
worldwide, as well as plenty of individuals in the UK. It has been
linked to a higher risk of cancer, stronger correlation with heart
disease, as well as a range of lung-related illnesses. The biggest
risk group is understood to be children under the age of 18, who
are at risk of the above as well as other conditions, from asthma
to sudden infant death syndrome.
However, research is increasingly linking
secondary smoking with hearing problems, in turn forcing
individuals to seek professional help or technological devices to
provide them with the clarity of hearing they deserve. In its
capacity as the world's leading dedicated hearing aid specialist,
Amplifon wants to highlight this issue to people around the world
and lessen the chances of aural problems developing
unnecessarily.
Following a detailed analysis of
statistics, specialist journal Tobacco Control revealed in November
2010 that there was a strong pattern emerging between smoking and
poor hearing. Former smokers were significantly more likely to have
hearing impairments and, while the risk was not as strong among
those who had never smoked, nearly one in ten had low-to-mid
frequency hearing loss while over one in four had high frequency
hearing loss.
There were also stronger findings among
former smokers that underlined how passive smoking, even at low
levels, would push the progression of high frequency hearing loss
that started when they were active smokers. Further research to
investigate the link was demanded by authors, though they would not
have to wait long.
In July 2011, the links were found to be
stronger than ever. NYU School of Medicine researchers revealed in
that month's issue of Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck
Surgery that exposure to tobacco smoke nearly doubles the risk of
hearing loss among adolescents. Perhaps the most worrying issue
regarding this hearing loss was that over 80 per cent of affected
teenagers in the study were not aware of any hearing
problems. Dr Anil Lalwani of NYU explained: "Milder hearing
loss is not necessarily noticeable. Thus, simply asking someone
whether they think they have hearing loss is insufficient."
Amplifon is keeping track of research
linking secondary smoking to hearing problems and is asking people
to be responsible for their health as much as possible. Barry
Downes, Head of Audiology at Amplifon, said: "While we all know the
dangers of smoking, many people simply may not know just how far
the activity goes in terms of affecting overall health."
"We are actively supporting people affected
by poor hearing, though the cure has never been a match for
prevention. Hearing problems will continue to affect people around
the world and we're dedicated to helping them, but we also want to
highlight that many hearing issues are avoidable, such as hearing
loss due to continuous exposure to loud noises such as machinery or
music and a proactive approach will provide comfort for years to
come."
If you think you may have a hearing problem book your free
hearing test with Amplifon today.
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