Abstract
The rate of smoking in Brazil is about 18.8%. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is one of the major factors predisposing children to several hazardous health problems. The objective of the present research was to analyze the effect of tobacco smoke exposure during childhood on cochlear physiology by measuring the transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) response levels. Cotinine, the main metabolite of nicotine, was measured in 145 students’ (8–10 years old) urine. Sixty students indicated tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) (cotinine urine levels ≥ 5.0 ng/mL) and 85 did not. The evaluation of TEOAE of TSE students showed lower response levels, mainly on frequencies of 2.8 kHz on the right and left ears and 2.0 kHz on left ear and lower signal noise response levels, mainly on the 1.0 kHz and 1.4 kHz frequencies, when compared to controls that were not exposed to tobacco. The mean hearing loss in tobacco smoke exposure children was 2.1 dB SPL. These results have important implications on the damage to the cochlear structures and indicate a possible loss in hearing and hearing ability development.
Highlights
During the last 20 years, Brazil has introduced tobacco control policies, such as cigarette-specific taxes, warnings on cigarette packages, smoke-free air laws, bans on tobacco marketing practices, etc.In the same period, the smoking rates have fallen by 50% [1]
The objective of the present research was to analyze the effect of tobacco smoke exposure during childhood on cochlear physiology by measuring the transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) response levels
The tests were performed in a sound-treated booth, the TEOAEs being recorded by an Echoport Plus ILO292 otoacoustic emission analyzer
Summary
During the last 20 years, Brazil has introduced tobacco control policies, such as cigarette-specific taxes, warnings on cigarette packages, smoke-free air laws, bans on tobacco marketing practices, etc. Despite the improvements on public health due to tobacco control policies in Brazil, the bad impact of tobacco smoke on people that smoke still remains. These policies do not include the homes where people live, leading to an exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, which is one of the major factors predisposing children to premature death and several hazardous health problems [3]. OAE act as an indicator of the cochlear physiological mechanism This new approach to study the cochlea improves the ways to investigate and interpret hearing loss. The objective of the present research was to analyze the effect of tobacco smoke exposure during childhood on cochlear physiology by measuring the transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) response levels
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