The Link Between Vaping and Hearing Loss

Vaping and Hearing Loss

Vaping was once known as a “healthy” alternative to cigarettes, however, the increased popularity of e-cigarettes has led to greater research into their health risks. While it’s long been known that smoking can impact hearing health, it turns out vaping may affect your hearing, too.¹

In this blog, we’ll explore the connection between vaping and hearing loss, how nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes may affect your ears, and tips for protecting your hearing. Let’s dive in! Like traditional cigarettes, vaping can introduce harmful chemicals into your body. These chemicals may harm your inner ear hair cells, leading to irreversible damage that contributes to hearing loss.⁴

How Does Vaping Affect Hearing?

The inner ear features tiny hair cells which are responsible for translating sounds into neural signals that are registered in the brain.² Once these cells are damaged, they do not regenerate and it’s this damage to the inner ear hair cells that can lead to permanent hearing loss.³

Like traditional cigarettes, vaping can introduce harmful chemicals into your body. These chemicals may harm your inner ear hair cells, leading to irreversible damage that contributes to hearing loss.⁴

Vaping can also affect your hearing in the following ways:

• Inflammation: chemicals found in vape products can increase inflammation throughout the body, including the auditory system.⁴

• Noise sensitivity: some research suggests vaping may make an individual more sensitive to loud noises and the ears more susceptible to damage from everyday sounds.¹

• Decreased blood flow to the cochlea: the cochlea is part of the inner ear that transforms sound waves into nerve signals. It needs proper blood circulation to function effectively however nicotine and other chemicals found in vape products can constrict blood vessels.⁵ By limiting blood flow to the cochlea, vaping may cause hearing damage.

Nicotine and Hearing Loss

E-cigarettes contain the same amount of nicotine (or more) as traditional cigarettes.⁵ Nicotine has been shown to lower oxygen blood levels and constrict blood vessels in the body.⁵ This includes the blood vessels located in the inner ear, that are responsible for how we hear. Here’s how nicotine can contribute to hearing issues:

• Disrupts neurotransmitters: the brain needs clear signals from the ears to process sounds, however, nicotine interferes with this communication.⁷

• Raises blood pressure: high blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the ear, leading to hearing problems.⁷

• Affects balance: the inner ear is responsible for balance, and some vapers may experience dizziness or vertigo as a result.⁷With the potential for vaping to greatly affect your hearing health, quitting vaping is the most effective strategy to stop additional harm and make your hearing a priority.⁸ By quitting, you’ll be able to:

Quitting Vaping for Your Hearing Health

With the potential for vaping to greatly affect your hearing health, quitting vaping is the most effective strategy to stop additional harm and make your hearing a priority.⁸ By quitting, you’ll be able to:

• Prevent further damage: by quitting vaping, you’ll be able to prevent additional harm to your hearing health.⁸

• Enjoy a range of health benefits: along with protecting your hearing health, quitting vaping can also reduce the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases associated with smoking, improve lung function, and boost your immune response, too.⁸

• Experience improved quality of life: quitting vaping may help to reduce the risk of hearing loss associated with nicotine use and other harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes. By reducing your risk and protecting your hearing, you’ll have an improved quality of life.⁸

If you have concerns about the health impacts of vaping or other nicotine use, please contact your healthcare professional for further advice.

The impact of vaping on hearing health shouldn’t be ignored. Being mindful of what you put into your body is key to protecting your hearing long-term. Small changes today can make a big difference tomorrow.

If you’re concerned about how vaping may be impacting your hearing, book a hearing check at your local Connect Hearing clinic today. Our friendly team will help you manage any concerns so you can stay on top of your hearing health.

References:

1. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention (2024), From Smoke to Vapor: Understanding the Auditory Consequence from Traditional Smoking to Vapor, National Library of Medicine, accessed 19 February 2025.
2. Cleveland Clinic (2024), Inner Ear: Anatomy, Function & Related Disorders, accessed 13 March 2025.
3. National Research Council Committee on Disability Determination for Individuals with Hearing Impairments (2004), Basics of Sound, the Ear, and Hearing, National Library of Medicine, accessed 19 February 2025.
4. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology (June 2018), Effect of electronic cigarettes on human middle ear, National Library of Medicine, accessed 19 February 2025.
5. Cancer Council (n.d.), E-cigarettes and vaping, www.cancer.org.au, accessed 19 February 2025.
6. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (8 May 2024), Effects of smoking and tobacco, www.health,gov.au, accessed 19 February 2025.
7. Preventive Medicine (February 2005), Effect of smoking on hearing loss: quality assessment and meta-analysis, Science Direct, accessed 19 February 2025.
8. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (22 December 2023), Why quit vaping?, www.health.gov.au, accessed 19 February 2025.