U.S. researchers say children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of hearing loss when they're older.
The study looked at 1,533 youth between the ages of 12 and 19 who took part in a national survey from 2005 to 2006.
Participants were interviewed about their health status and family medical history, exposure to secondhand smoke, and self-recognition of hearing impairment. They also had a physical exam, including blood testing for cotinine -- a by-product of nicotine exposure -- as well as hearing tests.
Compared with teens who had no secondhand smoke exposure, those who were exposed had higher rates of low- and high-frequency hearing loss. The rate of hearing loss appeared to be cumulative, increasing with the level of cotinine detected by blood tests, the researchers found.
The results also showed that more than 80% of participants with hearing loss did not realize they had impairment.
The study was published this month in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery journal.
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