Secondhand Smoke and Hearing Loss in Adolescents

Researchers from the New York University Langone Medical Center have discovered a possible link between exposure to tobacco smoke and hearing loss in teenagers. Cotinine is a substance formed in the blood as the byproduct of tobacco smoke inhalation. The amount of cotinine in the blood reveals the individual’s level of exposure to tobacco smoke. A higher level indicates that the individual is an active tobacco smoker while lower levels suggest an individual is consistently in the presence of someone who smokes. Researchers compared the blood level of cotinine with hearing test results for low, mid, and high frequencies among 1500 teenagers. Their research discovered the following:

• Teenagers who have consistently been exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke are almost twice as likely to develop hearing loss as those with little or no exposure. 
• Hearing loss in the lower frequencies was more prominent among teenagers with lesser degress of exposure
• Hearing loss in the mid and high frequencies was more prominent among the teenagers with the highest levels of cotinin. Because the audible range of speech is in the mid and high frequencies, this is particularly troublesome.

For more information about this study, read the article from Reuters or view this report from ABC News.


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