Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to have middle ear problems that are severe enough to require surgery, and the results of the surgery aren't as good in smokers as they are in nonsmokers.
One person's smoking can also cause problems in another person's ears.
explanation
If you're like most people, you have had a middle ear infection at least once in your life. And you probably didn't enjoy the experience. Ear infections hurt, and the fluid that builds up in the ear during an infection can interfere with normal hearing. (It's like trying to hear underwater, except that the water is inside your ear.) The fluid -- and the difficulty hearing -- sometimes persist for weeks or months even after the infection is gone.
Sometimes, when people have ear infections over and over, or when doctors can't get rid of the infection with medicine alone, surgery is needed to correct the problem. Doctors are especially likely to recommend surgery if the ear problem is interfering with the person's ability to hear. Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to have middle ear problems that are severe enough to require surgery, and the results of the surgery aren't as good in smokers as they are in nonsmokers.
One person's smoking can also cause problems in another person's ears. Research has shown that children who live in homes with adults who smoke are more likely than other children to have repeated ear infections and to have fluid in their ears.
