Your smoking habit is not only affecting your hearing; it is also affecting those around you. The auditory nerve is not fully developed until late adolescence, which means that passive smoking puts adolescents at increased risk for hearing loss (corroborated by the 2013 study mentioned above). Teens exposed to cigarette smoke are two to three times as likely to develop hearing loss compared to those with little or no exposure. This is also concerning when it comes to children who are exposed to passive smoking as their auditory system is usually not fully developed until late adolescence. Eighty percent of the participants in the 2011 study had no idea their hearing health had been affected.
So, this National No Smoking Day consider putting down your cigarettes for good. Research shows that ex-smokers were at no extra risk of hearing loss so quitting smoking would be hugely beneficial in protecting against hearing loss.