Alcoholism: effects on the cochleo-vestibular apparatus.
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.
Bellé
Marcieli
M
UFSM, Santa Maria, Brazil. marcielibelle@yahoo.com.br
Sartori
Sílvia do Amaral
Sdo A
Rossi
Angela Garcia
AG
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