A recent study suggests that secondhand smoke can damage the development of hearing in children which can lead to hearing loss when they reach their teen years.
In the United States, it is estimated that around 60 of children are exposed to secondhand smoke. They are at a higher risk for developing health problems such as respiratory infections, ear infections and behavioral difficulties.
Reportedly, around 1500 teens took part in the study. They were asked questions about being exposed to secondhand smoke and about their medical history. They were also asked if the had developed a hearing problem.
The teens that took part in the study were given hearing tests and physicals. Also, they were giving blood tests to determine if the teens had been exposed to cotinine, which is a side effect of nicotine exposure.
The study did reveal that teens who had been exposed to secondhand smoke, showed higher rates of some degree of hearing loss than those who had not been exposed. It also showed that the level of hearing loss depended on the how much exposure they had to cotinine.
However, the study also found that the vast majority of teens were not aware they had a hearing loss problem.