1.3 MI Study Guide PLTW Flashcards
Structure of the Ear+Functions, Audiograms, Terms, etc..
Pinna
collects sound waves from environments and funnels into the ear canal
External auditory canal
funnels sound waves into the eardrum
Tympanic membrane
separated the outer ear from the middle ear
Stapes
conveys sound vibrations to the bones flat base
Oval Window
to transmit sound vibrations from the middle ear to the inner
Round Window
releases inner pressure to allow fluid to make in the cochlea and stimulate hair cells in the basilar membrane
Ecstachain tube
equalizes air pressure between the atmosphere and the middle ear
Cochlea
converts sound waves into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret as sound
Auditory Nerve
transmit sound signals from the ear to the brain enabling us to hear
Vestibular Coclear Nerve
responsible for special sensations and vestibular portions are involved in balance, spatial sensations, and posture
Semicircular Canals
helps maintain balance by detaching rotational head movements
Vestibute
presives movement and acceleration so that the body may maintain equilibrium and balance
Malleus
transmits sound vibrations from the ear drums to the inner ear
Pitch
A sounds highness or lowness and is determined by the frequency of the sound waves that it produces
Frequency
the number of times a sound waves repeats itself per second
Intensity
The power of sound also known as loudness
Amplitude
the height of the wave, and its a measure of how loud or forceful the sound is
What is the unit of measurement of frequency?
Hertz
What units of measurements for amplitude? How is that measured in?
Decibels, meter and millimeters
What happens to the waves as you increase or decrease the amplitude?
Increase: the amplitude increased in energy making the wave “stronger”
Decrease: the amplitude energy decreases and the wave becomes “weaker” and less perceptible
How does sound travel through the wave?
Sound travels through the medium by creating a series of compressions and rarefactions
Describe the pathway of sound from the time a sound is generated to the time our brain registers the sound. Make sure to include all key structures of the ear in your description.
outer ear (pinna) –> auditory canal–> tympanic membrane (eardrum)–> ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes) (middle ear) –> oval window–> cochlea (inner ear)–> hair cells
Conductive Hearing Loss
a type of hearing loss caused by problems in the outer/middle ear that prevent sound from being effectively conducted to the inner ear which result in ear infections, fluid buildup, ear wax blockage, and damage to the eardrum or ossicles
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
a type of hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve, affecting sound processing. It is often due to aging, noise exposure, or genetic factors and is usually permanent.
Audiometer
A device used to measure hearing sensitivity by producing various tones at different frequencies and volumes to assess an individual hearing ability
Threshold
Threshold refers to the lowest level of sound that a person can hear or detect
Audiogram
A visual chart that displays a persons hearing sensitivity across different frequencies, showing the softest sounds they can hear at various pitches
Middle Ear
The middle ear is the part of the ear between the eardrum and the inner ear, consisting of the ossicles (tiny bones: malleus, incus, and stapes) that transmit sound vibrations to the inner ear
What is done during the Rinne Test?
Using the tuning fork, strike it softly and then hold it behind that patients ear (against the patients bone) and then once stops move to the front of the ear
What would a person with normal hearing hear?
Air conduction (behind the ear) would last twice as long as bone conduction (towards the ear)
What is does a Speech-in-Noise Test do?
Uses speech as the background noise as a means to reflect real-world listening situations
How is the Speech-in-Noise Test preformed?
presents a series of works or sentences to a person as background noise play simultaneously while the test taker needs to repeat what they hear.
What does the Pure Tone Test do?
Played a series of beeps at district frequencies and will become softer and softer
How is a Pure Tone Test done?
Plays through headphones and the patient is asked to raise their hand if they hear a noise or not
Hearing Assistive Technology
These are devices that are used with or without hearing aids or a cochlear implant and helps with people with hearing loss who struggle to differentiate sounds in busy areas
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids use the same basic parts to carry sounds from the environment into your ear and make them louder (amplifies sound). There are different kinds of hearing that can target all parts of the ear.
Cochlear Implant
A small, Complex electronic device that helps provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hear-of-hearing. These implants bypass damaged parts of the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve
Surgery
Most surgical procedures are implants that are packed in the ear to replace damaged parts of the ear such as an Ossiculoplasty or a Myringotomy
Sign Language (ASL)
Used if any past Interventions fair and is always reliable if someone is diagnosed with severe hearing loss
What is the main difference between and Audiologist and an Otolaryngologist?
Audiologists specialize in hearing and balance, while otolaryngologists, also known as ENTs, specialize in the ears, nose, and throat
Why would a person with conductive hearing loss hear the tuning fork through bone conduction longer than or equally as long as through air conduction?
With conductive hearing loss lies it in the middle ear, which is bypassed when sound is transmitted through bone conduction, allowing the vibrations to reach the inner ear directly through the skull; whereas air conduction is significantly impeded by the middle ear dysfunction, making the bone conduction sound louder in this case.
What is the differnece between Deaf and deaf?
“Deaf” is considered to as a a deaf person who embraces the culture and norms (like a community) and “deaf” is just someone who cant hear
What is involved with getting a cochlear implant?
After an evaluation for the surgery must be preformed and the the surgeon makes an incision behind the ear, opens the mastoid bone, and places the implant electrodes in the cochlea. The surgeon also places an internal processor under the skin behind the ear
Why are cochlear implants controversial?
Because the time period of which they are allowed to be placed, this has to be done as a child which does not allow for the person to make their own life changing decision.
