Passive smoking and hearing loss in teenagers

By Robert Cervin, May 5th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

A study has revealed an association between passive smoking and hearing loss in teenagers.

The study was undertaken by a team at New York University and published in the medical journal, Archives of Otolaryngology. It involved over 2,000 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19. The participants were given blood tests to find out whether the chemical cotinine was present. Cotinine is a by-product of nicotine. They also underwent a number of hearing tests and interviewed regarding whether they believed they were suffering from hearing loss.

The results showed that teenagers who had high levels of exposure to second-hand smoke had an increased likelihood of suffering from of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). They were almost twice as likely to have this than those who were not exposed to second-hand smoke. In addition to this, over 80% of those with SNHL were not aware of it. Previous studies that have analysed the affects of second-hand smoke have found links between high rates of heart disease, cancer and asthma.

Further research is necessary to determine whether the association between passive smoking and SNHL is causal. This study also did not take into account other risk factors such as exposure to excessive noise, or whether the participants smoked themselves.

However, the study does contribute to the growing body of research that shows the adverse affects brought on by passive smoking, especially in children and young people. There are an increasing number of options available to those who want to quit smoking, including prescription medications like Champix and nicotine replacement therapies.