Smoking and Obesity Protects Against Tinnitus and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

[The Red Viper]

Some interesting stats.... I don't know what to make of them... scroll down the pages to the diagnosis rates:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=tinnitus

https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=eustachian+tube+dysfunction

 

[Tinker Bell]

Correlation does not equal causation, or in this example correlation does not equal prevention.

 

[The Red Viper]

Correlation does not equal causation, or in this example correlation does not equal prevention.

Agreed. But there's gotta be more to it. Otherwise you could say that hearing loss doesn't "cause" T either under that line of reasoning. There's clearly a link between T (hearing loss related) and hearing loss. So I'm curious as to what these stats may tell us.

Perhaps nicotine plays a role; which would be interesting because it is a stimulant and one would expect it to cause T spikes. But on the other hand, it does restrict blood flow, which may have some protective effects...

 

[Tinker Bell]

Smoking and obesity, what were the stats? .02 percent versus .08 with .07 unknown for smoking, and obesity was a .03 percent difference. Am I reading that correctly? That's a small variation. Race and ethnicity had a greater range of variation.

 

[Tinker Bell]

This article suggests nicotine can cause tinnitus, and that smoking can irritate the Eustachian tubes and lead to sound sensitivity. Apparently smokers are 70 percent more likely to suffer hearing loss versus non-smokers according to an old study by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

http://www.healthyhearing.com/report/50940-Smoking-and-hearing-loss

The Mayo Clinic also indicates smokers have a greater risk of tinnitus.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/dxc-20180362

 

[The Red Viper]

@Tinker Bell, which is why I pose the question in the first place. Smoking and obesity are both really bad, but why are the numbers so weird?

 

[Tinker Bell]

Why are they weird? It's a small statistical difference in the data you provided that does not show a direct prevention link. Is there are margin of error? That might even negate the difference. Where exactly is that data from?

Meanwhile, actual medical studies and articles show a statistical link between smoking and getting tinnitus.

 

[brownbear]

Probably if you are obese and smoke you won't live long enough to get age related tinnitus.