Hearing Loss in Teens: New Study Reveals More Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
Is cigarette smoke making young people hard of hearing? According to one study, adolescents exposed to
second hand smoke are 1.83 times more likely to have low-frequency hearing loss when compared to those not exposed.
Anil K. Lalwani, MD, from New York University along with colleagues conducted the first ever study that looked at how secondhand smoke affects hearing in young people. By analyzing date from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2006) they pinpointed 1,533 nonsmoking teens between the ages of 12 to 19. These teens had undergone audiometric testing and their serum cotinine levels had also been assayed. Cotinine is a metabolite of nicotine found in tobacco. The findings show that those with the highest amounts of exposure are at the greatest risk for even more hearing loss – as much as a 2.72 fold increase.
Hearing loss can go unnoticed.The study also concluded that 18.43% of these teens weren’t even aware that their hearing ability had been reduced. If that’s the case, then more than likely their parents weren’t aware, either. Any early chance to get help or change the environment went by unnoticed.
Though the study found a causal relationship between the...
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