An Observed Relationship Between Vestibular Function and Auditory Thresholds in Aircraft-Maintenance Workers

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the vestibular function and whether an association exists between vestibular function and hearing thresholds in a group of military aircraft-maintenance workers with exposures to high levels of noise and organic solvents, relative to two different comparison groups. METHODS: Vestibular function (using functional reach) and hearing (with pure-tone audiometry) were assessed in 601 exposed personnel, compared with two unexposed groups (500 technical trade and 391 nontrade). RESULTS: Linear regression model showed that functional reach was slightly better for the comparison groups than the exposed group, with only one group being statistically significant, and there was a significant association between vestibular function and auditory thresholds at 500 and 1000 Hz. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated a relationship between low-frequency hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction, anxiety, and depression in an occupational population.