Basic audiologic evaluation in alcoholics

Abstract

Several ototoxical drugs cause harmful effects on human being, like tinnitus, several forms of hearing deficiencies and faintness. Among the main agents considered ototoxic, there is alcohol (Papparela & Shumrick apud Russo e Santos, 1993). The objective of this research was to analyse the alcohol effect on hearing of adults and elder people. One hundred and five individuals participated in this research, 19 were female and 86 were male, with ages varying from 19 to 77 years, and the time of alcohol use varied from 3 to 55 years. The individulas were divided into two groups: Group I – with ages between 19 and 50 years and Group II – with ages between 51 and 77 years. The basic hearing evaluation was done, and it was composed by ATL, LRF, IPRF and MIA. It was verified that the individuals of Group II showed a mean time of alcohol using higher than the ndividuals of Group I in 17, 21 years. Comparing Group I and Group II, both for right ear and left ear, in relation to the tonal thresholds of the frequencies evaluated, in the majority there was significant statistical difference. Through the analysis of the results it could be observed the harmful effect of the alcohol on the hearing of adult and elder individulas and, the older they get and the higher the time of using, the higher the harmful hearing effects.