[Evaluation of high frequency hearing thresholds in smokers]

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Public Health
• Toxicology

Background:

• Smoking is a prevalent habit with known detrimental health effects.
• Hearing loss is a growing public health concern, affecting millions worldwide.
• High-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) can impact communication and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between smoking status and high-frequency hearing thresholds.
• To determine if smokers have significantly different hearing thresholds at high frequencies (8-18 kHz) compared to nonsmokers.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 50 participants (20 nonsmokers, 30 smokers).
• Smokers were defined as individuals smoking at least one pack daily for over 10 years.
• High-frequency hearing thresholds (8-18 kHz) were measured and compared between the two groups.

Main Results:

• Smokers demonstrated significantly elevated mean hearing thresholds at 16 kHz and 18 kHz in both ears compared to nonsmokers (p=0.005).
• These significant differences persisted even after excluding participants over 40 years of age.
• Specifically, mean thresholds at 16 kHz for smokers were approximately 50 dB HL versus 31-33 dB HL for nonsmokers.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest a significant association between smoking and impaired high-frequency hearing.
• Smoking is implicated as a potential contributing factor to high-frequency hearing loss.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying smoking-induced hearing damage.