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Sex-Related Cochlear Impairment in Cigarette Smokers
- Source :
- Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- International Scientific Information, Inc., 2017.
-
Abstract
- BACKGROUND A number of studies have documented the influence of cigarette smoking on hearing. However, the association between sex and hearing impairment in smokers as measured by otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) has not been clearly established. The aim of this study was to analyze sex-specific effects of smoking on hearing via conventional and ultra-high-frequency pure tone audiometry (PTA), and OAEs, specifically spontaneous OAEs, click-evoked OAEs, and distortion-product OAEs. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 84 healthy volunteers aged 25-45 years (mean 34), among them 46 women (25 non-smokers and 21 smokers) and 38 men (16 non-smokers and 22 smokers). The protocol of the study included otoscopic examination, tympanometry, low-, moderate-, and ultra-high-frequency PTA, evaluation of spontaneous click-evoked (CEAOEs) and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), assessment of the DP-grams for 2f1-f2 (f1 from 977 to5 164 Hz), and input/output function at L2 primary tone level of 40-70 dB SPL. RESULTS Smokers and non-smokers did not differ significantly in terms of their hearing thresholds assessed with tone audiometry. Male smokers presented with significantly lower levels of CEAOEs and DPOAEs than both male non-smokers and female smokers. CONCLUSIONS Smoking does not modulate a hearing threshold determined with PTA at low, moderate, and ultra-high frequencies, but causes a significant decrease in OAE levels. This effect was observed only in males, which implies that they are more susceptible to smoking-induced hearing impairment. Sex-specific differences in otoacoustic emissions level may reflect influences of genetic, hormonal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Hearing loss
Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous
Audiology
03 medical and health sciences
Sex Factors
0302 clinical medicine
Hearing
Cigarette smoking
Clinical Research
Healthy volunteers
otorhinolaryngologic diseases
medicine
Humans
Hearing Loss
030223 otorhinolaryngology
Absolute threshold of hearing
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Smoking
Auditory Threshold
Sex related
General Medicine
Middle Aged
Tympanometry
Cochlea
Cochlear Implants
Acoustic Impedance Tests
Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Female
Pure tone audiometry
Audiometry
medicine.symptom
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16433750
- Volume :
- 23
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Medical Science Monitor
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....686039869430db9f2dbc90c31dfe3d68