Smoking has been linked to numerous illnesses, including heart disease, cancer and emphysema, and now it could be linked to hearing loss as well. A recent US study has revealed that teenagers who smoke, or are exposed to smoke from a young age are more likely to develop hearing and misinterpretation problems.

Tests were performed on 67 teenagers at Yale University, and according to many experts, the results were 'quite significant'. The results showed that those exposed to smoke from a young age had more trouble focusing and interpreting sound than those who were not.

The scans also revealed that exposure to harsh cigarette smoke changed the brain's white matter, which is responsible for transmitting messages. Also, further tests proved that these teens were more likely to have more white matter. This is not a good thing as many children with overdeveloped white matter experience problems transmitting and interpreting sound because the white matter is out of sync with the rest of the brain.

Further tests were performed on teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18. This test asked the teenagers to identify words while they were being distracted by visual images or background noise. Among the boys whom were tested, those exposed to smoke correctly identified 77% of the sounds, while those not exposed to smoked scored 85%. Of the girls whom were tested, those who were exposed to smoke correctly identified 85% of the sounds, while those not exposed got 90% of the sounds right.

Leslie Jacobsen, who led the research team, stated that, 'Individuals affected will have problems in settings where there is a distraction. This could certainly be the case in classrooms where there may be other people talking and lots of things going on. Coupled with other conditions, such as behavioural disorders, this may tip a pupil towards failing at school'.

David McAlpine, director of the Ear Institute at university College London states that smokers who show changes in this pathway experience difficulty in hearing what is being said. He also agreed that the findings were very interesting.

Richard Todd, from Washington University, said that the effect on the white matter was 'pretty remarkable'. He also added, 'It seems the brain remains vulnerable long into adolescence'.