Cigarettes And Tinnitus – Does Smoking Cause Tinnitus?

There are a variety of things which people who have been diagnosed with tinnitus are told to avoid and smoking is one of them. Although it is true that smoking does not impact everyone with tinnitus the same way, those who have this condition are told to avoid smoking just in case. Smoking is bad for you all around and increased perception of tinnitus is just another reason to not do it, according to doctors and researchers alike.

The nicotine in cigarettes is primarily what is able to worsen tinnitus for some, though there are certainly many other harmful chemicals in them which are important to avoid at all costs. Smoking has a tremendous negative impact on the body, including the ability to narrow the blood vessels which are responsible to providing oxygen to the brain as well as sensory cells which play an important role in hearing.

Doctors from the University of North Carolina have concluded that smoking can take a toll on those who have tinnitus, making the phantom noises which they perceive in some cases worse. Because there are so many different underlying conditions which can be responsible for tinnitus, it is difficult to say how smoking will affect each individual with this condition.

The blood vessels in the body are closely tied in with why many people develop tinnitus in the first place, which is precisely why they are told to avoid smoking altogether. Some people notice that when they smoke their tinnitus worsens while others do not notice any difference at all.

The effect that smoking can have on tinnitus is the same as caffeine and alcohol; while it may it may have an adverse effect on some, that is not the case for everyone. Doctors, scientists, and researchers all agree that smoking is bad for people with tinnitus and those who still do it are highly encouraged to quit as soon as possible.