Overweight adolescents are likely to suffer hearing loss, study finds

Jun 19, 2013 20:21 GMT  ·  By

As if obesity, which by the way is now classified as a disease, hadn't already been linked to loads of potentially life-threatening medical conditions, researchers are now saying that, in the case of adolescents, it can also trigger hearing problems.

Recent investigations have revealed that obese teenagers are roughly 50% more likely to develop one-sided, low-frequency hearing problems when compared to their slimmer and fitter peers, Daily Mail reports.

This means that, although they might have absolutely no issues functioning in their day-to-day life, these adolescents are bound to have issues when surrounded by numerous people that are chatting away or when they find themselves in particularly noisy places.

Specialists suspect that obese teenagers experience hearing difficulties because inflammation triggered by their excess weight damages their inner ear, the same source informs us.

“These results have several important public health implications,” Professor Anil Lalwani commented on these findings.

“Because previous research found that 80 per cent of adolescents with hearing loss were unaware of having hearing difficulty, adolescents with obesity should receive regular hearing screening so they can be treated appropriately to avoid cognitive and behavioral issues,” he added.