The Effects of Smoking and Physical Exercise on Temporary Threshold Shifts

Abstract

The Temporary Threshold Shifts (TTS) of 9 habitual smokers and 9 non-smokers were determined twice (via Békésy sweep procedures) after each of three conditions: 10 min of physical exercise, 10 min of 105 dB SPL exposure to a third octave band noise centered around 2 kHz, and 10 min of both exercise and noise. Smokers evidenced less TTS than did non-smokers, particularly when exposed to both noise and exercise and especially in the range of 2.5 to 5 kHz. Heart rate and systolic blood pressure increased more for smokers than for non-smokers, particularly when they were required to exercise. Oral temperature was positively correlated with the magnitude of TTS.