Evaluation of high frequency hearing thresholds in smokers

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether high frequency hearing thresholds differed between smokers and nonsmokers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in 50 individuals including 20 nonsmokers (mean age 29 years; range 25 to 37 years) and 30 smokers (mean age 34 years; range 25 to 50 years). The smokers group was comprised of individuals who had been smoking at least a pack a day for more than 10 years. High frequency hearing thresholds (8-18 kHz) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean hearing thresholds of smokers at 16 kHz were 50.66 dB HL and 49.50 dB HL in the left and right ears, respectively; the corresponding figures for nonsmokers were 31.00 dB HL and 33.25 dB HL, respectively (p=0.005). The mean hearing thresholds of smokers and nonsmokers at 18 kHz were 57.33 dB HL and 41.25 dB HL for the left ears, and 59.33 dB HL and 42.52 dB HL for the right ears, respectively (p=0.005). Analyses between the two groups after exclusion of subjects over 40 years of age showed significant differences at 16 kHz and at 18 kHz for the left ears, and at 18 kHz for the right ears (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that smoking can be considered one of the factors that plays a role in high frequency hearing loss.