Smoking habits in patients with sudden hearing loss. Preliminary results

Tobacco, especially its content of nicotine, is a drug that has a powerful seductive effect and a dangerous risk of dependence. It is well known that smoking of cigarettes in the industrialized countries of Europe neutralizes an essential part of medical success in that tobacco-induced shortening of life is estimated to equal the possible medical extension of life. Nicotine is the best explored component of tobacco and its effects on heart circulation have been investigated by many research groups. Cigarette smoking raises the body's need for oxygen, because the carbon monoxide that is always inhaled with the smoke partially blocks the haemoglobin. Though acute and combined effects of nicotine and carbon monoxide have been established chronic diseases of the smoker cannot fully be declared. An attempt was made to define some correlation between smoking habits and the risk of a sudden hearing loss. All the patients who were treated in our clinic because of sudden hearing loss were asked to complete a questionnaire anonymously in order to get more reliable answers. However, the outcome was not very encouraging. Only three quarters of our patients responded to the questions, of these only 29% were smokers. However, half of the non-smokers were former smokers. The data are discussed in relation to other investigations.