3. SESSION 3.3: Ears Flashcards
What is the ear (3)
SENSORY organ for HEARING and EQUILIBRIUM.
External ear structure
- Name (2)
- Composition (2)
- Landmarks (4)
- Called “Auricle” or “Pinna”
- Consists of movable cartilage and skin
- Helix, antihelix, tragus, antitragus
What is the purpose of the external ear?
To funnel sound waves to the tympanic membrane
What is the function of the middle ear (3)?
- To conduct sound vibrations
- To reduce the amplitude of sound
- Equalization of air pressure
What is the function of the inner ear?
Sensory organ for hearing and equilibrium.
When looking at the tympanic membrane with the odoscope, light should be shining at _____ at the right ear and ______ at the left ear.
5: 00 at the right ear
7: 00 at the left ear
Children get more ear infections because their ________ are _________. (Especially if they…)
- Eustachian tubes, horizontal
- Lay down with their bottle
What is ostosclerosis?
An abnormal spongey bone growth in the middle ear that causes hearing loss.
What is the name for age-related hearing loss?
Presbycusis
What are the two pathways of hearing?
- Air conduction pathway
- Bone conduction pathway
What are the 8 health history questions for the EAR?
1) Earaches
2) Infections
3) Discharge
4) Hearing loss
5) Environmental Noise
6) Tinnitus
7) Vertigo
8) Self-care behaviors
What are the 7 steps of physical examination of the ear?
1) Assess gross hearing
2) Rinne and Weber tests if needed
3) Inspect auricle
4) Palpate mastoid process
5) Press Tragus
6) Inspect canal
7) Inspect tympanic membrane
What are four tests of hearing acuity?
- Conversational
- Finger Rubbing
- Whisper test
- Weber and Rinne
Describe how to conduct the Weber test.
- Place 512 fork in the midline of the head
- Ask if the sound is louder in one ear or the other.
- Result is that it either lateralizes midline, favors right or favors left.
Describe how to conduct the Rinne test.
Test bone conduction verses Air conduction. Air conduction should be stronger, if not there may be a problem.
For the Weber test, the ___ conduction will be stronger in the ___ ear. Why?
- Bone conduction, stronger in bad ear.
- Because all the other sound in the room is masked, so they hear sound through the bone better.
Inspect auricle for… (3)
Symmetry, lesions, nodules
Describe a normal external ear (5)
- Equal size
- No swelling or thickening
- Color consistent with facial color
- No lesions / lumps
- Upper attachment of pinna should be in line with the lateral canthus of eye.
If there is pain while palpating the mastoid process, consider _______ or _____
otitis media or mastoiditis (middle ear infection) or infection that’s already gone to the bone.
If tragus palpation is painful, consider ________
otitis externa
When using the otoscope, pull ____ up and back, ____, THEN ____.
Pinna, insert, THEN look.
Four components of a normal right tympanic membrane
- Pearly gray
- Semi transparent
- Flat but pulled at center
- May see malleous
What is insufflation
If you have pt hold their nose and swallow, you will see the tympanic membrane move.
Results of impacted cerumen (3)
- Partial deafness
- Tinnitus
- Dizziness
What is exostosis? What is the cause? What can it result in?
- Formation of new bone on the surface of a bone. Discreet, hard, round or oval cropping.
- Cause: Lots of outer / middle ear infections (Swimmers, surfers)
- Can result in infections, pain, plugging, hearing loss.
- What is otitis externa?
- Will cause pain when moving _____
- May have _______
- Caused by (2)
- Scaling or crusting, inflammation and discharge in canal.
- Pain when moving tragus
- Palpable nodes
- Swimming, frequent ear cleaning.
What is serous otitis media? 3 components
- Tympanic membrane is retracted, has decreased mobility
- Thin serous effusion gives yellowish appearance
- Bubbles apparent if eustacian tube is blocked.
