10 Causes of Ringing In Ears
Cause #8: Smoking
Cigarettes contain many chemicals, such as formaldehyde, arsenic, vinyl chloride, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and nicotine. Some of these substances are ototoxic, so they can impair hearing and result in unsteadiness, dizziness, and tinnitus. The chemicals in cigarettes can constrict the blood vessels and thus reduce blood flow to all parts of the body, including the inner ear.
This causes the asphyxiation of the tiny hair cells that help people hear. Nicotine also affects the neurotransmitters in the auditory nerve and releases free radicals that further damage the hair cells in the inner ear.
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