Hearing loss and alcohol consumption in women between 20 and 40 years of age, in the commune of Temuco, Chile

Objective: To analyze the relationship between alcohol consumption and loss hearing in women between 20 and 40 years of age in Temuco city. Methodology: Cutting study. We evaluated 30 consuming and non alcoholic women divided into 3 groups (G): G1 abstemies, G2 consumers of 40-59 and G3 consumers of> 60 grams alcohol daily (15, 6 and 9 respectively), intentional sampling contacted in shopping centers. Auditory tests were performed: Audiometry, Discrimination of the Word and Auditory Evoked Potentials of the Brain Stem. Results: In the right ear, there were significant differences in medium frequencies and word discrimination between groups 1 versus 2 (p = 0.045 and 0.010, respectively). In left ear, there were significant differences in the high frequencies between groups 1 versus 3, interpeak latencies of iii-v waves (time elapsed between iii and v waves in millisecond after the stimulus) between groups 1 versus 2 (p = 0.003) and groups 2 versus 3 (p = 0.005) to 80 dB; in interpeak latencies i-iii and iii-v between groups 1 versus 2 (p = 0.039) at 60 dB and in word discrimination between groups 1 versus 2 (p = 0.009) and 1 versus 3 (p = 0.013). Conclusion: In the group studied there is hearing loss related to a daily consumption from the 40 grams of alcohol being the most affected ear the left in the medium and high frequencies and affecting to the cochlea and also brainstem.