title: Alcoholism: effects on the cochleo-vestibular apparatus.
abstract: Several ototoxic drugs are harmful to the human being and lead to problems such as tinnitus, many types of hearing loss, and vertigo. Alcohol is among the main agents considered ototoxic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of alcoholism in the vestibular-cochlear system.
  
  
  METHODS
  cross-sectional contemporary cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprehended 37 individuals in the Experimental Group, members of Alcoholics Anonymous of the City Santa Maria-RS, and 37 non-alcoholic individuals in the Control Group, age and gender matching. All of the individuals examined were submitted to anamnesis, otorhinolaryngological examination, basic hearing evaluation, and vecto-electronystamography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  67.57% of the individuals from the Experimental Group showed abnormalities in the audiometry and 24.32% presented abnormalities in the computerized vecto-electronystamography. In the Control Group, 27.03% of the individuals showed abnormalities in the audiometry and 10.81% presented abnormalities in the computerized vecto-electronystamography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol interferes on an individuals hearing and balance, causing deleterious effects on the human organism.
authors.affiliation: UFSM, Santa Maria, Brazil. marcielibelle@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Marcieli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellé
authors.forename: Sílvia do Amaral
authors.initials: Sdo A
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: Angela Garcia
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001299:Audiometry; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests