Tobacco Smoking as a Risk Factor of Hearing Impairment in Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise: A Literature Review

Background: Sensorineural hearing loss ranks first among occupational diseases in workers of noisy occupations. Recent studies have proven the role of tobacco smoking as a risk factor for hearing impairment in workers exposed to industrial noise.

Objective: To summarize and systematize the results of studying the impact of tobacco smoking on hearing impairment in workers employed in noisy jobs.

Materials and methods: We have searched Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and RSCI databases for the studies published in 1990–2023 using the following keywords and phrases in Russian and English: smoking, hearing loss, occupational noise-induced hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, noise, and pathogenesis. Materials from 36 full-text sources containing information on the role of tobacco smoking and the pathogenetic mechanisms of hearing loss in individuals exposed to noise at work were used for the review.

Results: Currently, there is no consensus on primary targets and the main pathogenetic mechanism of hearing loss. An increasing role in its development has been assigned recently to metabolic disorders with subsequent activation of signaling pathways leading to cell apoptosis. We have established that tobacco smoking can be an independent risk factor for hearing loss at high frequencies, while the combined exposure to tobacco smoking and occupational noise has an additive effect. Smoking can act as an independent factor causing hearing impairment at lower noise levels in the workplace, and quitting smoking reduces the risk of hearing loss.

Conclusion: Our findings allow us to expand the understanding of the role of tobacco smoking in hearing loss in workers employed in noisy jobs and the pathogenetic mechanisms of hearing impairment related to chronic occupational noise exposure in smokers in order to substantiate a comprehensive, integrated approach to its treatment and prevention.

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