Acute Effects of Alcohol on Auditory Thresholds and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Humans

Objective - To investigate the acute effects of alcohol consumption on pure-tone thresholds (PTs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions ( DPOAEs) in humans. Material and Methods - Eight healthy adults were asked to drink alcohol to the clinical intoxication level. PTs and DPOAEs were determined serially before and after alcohol ingestion. Results - Alcohol had no effect on PTs. DPOAE amplitudes above 5500 Hz dropped 30 min and 1 h after alcohol ingestion , returning to the pre-test level 2 h after ingestion. Conclusion - In humans, acute alcohol consumption to the intoxication level may cause a temporary reduction in DPOAE amplitudes at high frequencies without affecting auditory thresholds