Researchers at the NYU School of Medicine report that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of hearing loss among adolescents. This is the first study to link secondhand smoke with hearing loss.

In the study, 1,500 adolescents aged 12 to 19 were given hearing tests and their blood tested for cotinine, a chemical found in the blood of people exposed to tobacco smoke. The teens who had been exposed to secondhand smoke performed worse on the hearing tests, including those that tested the ability to understand speech. The teens with the highest levels of cotinine in their blood had nearly triple the risk of hearing loss. Most of the adolescents discovered to have mild hearing loss were unaware of it.

Researchers noted that children with mild hearing loss from secondhand smoke would have trouble hearing what is said in classroom settings and could become easily distracted. This could result in children being misdiagnosed with ADHD or other behavioral problems. While young children are screened for hearing loss in our country, there are no guidelines for administering hearing tests after children have started school. The researchers involved in the study recommend that children exposed to secondhand smoke receive hearing tests more regularly.