Secondhand smoke linked to teens' hearing loss

Consumer Reports News: July 19, 2011 03:23 PM

Teens exposed to secondhand smoke have nearly double the hearing-loss risk of those who aren't exposed, according to a study in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

Researchers at New York University's Langone Medical Center gave hearing tests to 1,500 teenagers nationwide, and also measured the levels of cotinine, a nicotine chemical, in their blood. Those with higher cotinine levels were more likely to have sensorineural hearing loss, a condition most often caused by problems with the cochlea, a snail-shaped organ in the inner ear.

Teens exposed to secondhand smoke also performed worse in sound-frequency tests, especially those important for understanding speech. Finally, 80 percent of the affected teens didn't know they had any form of hearing loss.

More than half of kids in the U.S. are exposed to secondhand smoke, the study says. Secondhand smoke has also been linked to asthma and heart disease.

Bottom line: While more research into the link between secondhand smoke and hearing loss is needed, this study gives another reason to kick the habit. Quit smoking today, and cut down on the adverse health effects for yourself and those around you.

See our advice on how to quit smoking. And learn more on preventing hearing loss and some things that can contribute to it.

Sources
Secondhand smoke may hurt teens' hearing [WebMD]
Secondhand smoke and sensorineural hearing loss in adolescents [Archives of Otolarynology]

—Evan MacDonald