Despite the fact that smoking during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that ten percent of women still smoke during the first three months of pregnancy. Now, women have one more reason to give up their smoking habit. Recent research indicates that exposure to nicotine before and after birth can lead to hearing problems among children. These problems stem from the fact that nicotine exposure compromises the ability of neurons, which normally receive sensory input from the cochlea (the sensory hearing organ), to send signals to the other neurons in the auditory brain stem as accurately and effectively as they normally would.
Hearing loss varies by cause, type, and degree. Its effects can be due to heredity, disease, a noisy environment, or the aging process. To find the most appropriate solution to your particular hearing impairment, rely on the services of a clinical audiologist. We present this column to educate the public on hearing loss and its effects and to help inform the millions of men, women, and children with hearing problems that help is available. Don’t suffer in a world of silence. Have a hearing test at BETTER HEARING CENTER instead. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider.
P.S. Research shows that smokers are 70 percent more likely to suffer hearing loss than non-smokers.
