Smoking can damage your health in a number of ways. Statistics say that smoking cigarettes causes nearly one in five deaths in the US.
The most significant damage happens in your lungs. However, other organs are in danger as well.
Smoking Harms Your Hearing
New research shows that smoking harms your hearing health. This result comes from a study done on 50,000 people. People who never smoke are far less at risk than current smokers.
Smoking makes you 1.2 to 1.6 times as likely to have hearing problems. It is associated with both high-frequency and low-frequency hearing loss. The researchers made sure to take noise-related hearing damage into account.
However, there is a lot more research to be done on this subject. After all, scientists still need to figure out the why smoking harms your hearing.
How to Quit
You might be able to improve your hearing if you quit smoking. You will also become healthier in general. So here are a few tips that can help.
- It gets easier after a few days, so try not to give in to the cravings. A replacement activity can help, such as chewing on sunflower seeds.
- Milestones are important. So if you’re quitting cold turkey, make sure to reward your endurance.
- Distractions can help a great deal. You can try a new hobby. However, it’s a good idea to avoid spending time with smokers for a while.
- Identify the situations that make you want to smoke. Then write them down and consider your options. Make a plan about what you can do instead of smoking.
- Ask for help if you need it. Therapy or medication could help you quit smoking for life.
