Smoking and Its Effect on Ear Infections

While ear infections are a common illness, there are factors that can increase your chance of getting an ear infection. One of the worst risk factors for ear infections is smoking. Studies have shown that cigarette smoke greatly increases the likeliness of suffering from ear infection symptoms. This article will discuss the way ear infections are causes, how smoking leads to ear infections, and the dangers of reoccurring ear infections whether caused by smoking or not.

How Ear Infections Are Caused

There are several types of ear infections. For the purposes of this article we will discuss only middle ear infections, the most common among children. Middle ear infections, also called Otitis Media, are caused when a bacteria or virus enters the ear canal through a tube in the nose, the Eustachian tube. This usually happens when the child already has a cold or virus causing a thickening of mucus, which encourages the growth of bacteria. Once the bacteria travels to the middle ear canal, growth continues as an ear infection. It can be a few days before the typical symptoms; fever, earache, draining of fluid from the ear, become evident.

How Smoking Increases The Chance Of Ear Infections

As mentioned, the thickening of mucus in the nasal passage promotes the growth and spreading of bacteria into the ear canal. Cigarette smoke is irritating to the nasal passage. In response to this irritate, as with any irritate, the nose builds up its defense (mucus). This "defense" against the cigarette smoke is what carries the bacteria or virus into your child's middle ear canal. Studies have shown that the presence of cigarette, or any tobacco, smoke can increase the chance of getting an ear infection by 48% in children and up to 80% in infants.