Ch 14: Ear Assessment for advanced and specialty practice Flashcards
What is the function of the ear (basic function and internal function)
Hearing and sustaining equilibrium
What is the external ear designed to guide And what is a contribute to (basic function)
External ear design to guide sound to meatus of external ear canal
Contributes to hearing
When visualizing what ear portion would you find cerumen  and what can an accumulation of cerumen cause 
What can Cerumen block (other than sound, visualize)
When visualizing the external ear you can find cerumen
if an accumulation of Cerumen is present it can cause temporary hearing loss and sensation of fullness in the ear
Ceramic blocks visualization of tympanic membrane
What are used to visualize the tympanic membrane and what is the normal finding of the tympanic membrane
Using an otoscope you can visualize the tympanic membrane
Normal findings are translucent and pearly gray/white with a reflection on the malleus
What is the purpose of the middle ear and what can you visualize when looking at the middle ear
Purpose of the middle ears to dampen volume
You can visualize the ossicles: 3 bines of middle ear
- Malleus
- incus
- stapes
What is the valsalva maneuver done for and what is the process
2 processes : estachian tube and filling ballon
Who do you not perform the Valsalva maneuver on
Valsalva maneuver done to open up ears
Process: estachian tube opens briefly when you swallow or yawn because of its connection to the mid year in pharynx regulating pressure
Process: pinching nose closed, closing mouth, exhaling like you’re feeling a balloon and bearing down like if you’re having a bowel movement for 10 to 15 seconds
Do not perform on Katia patients
What is the inner ear responsible for in relation to the cranial nerve, which cranial nerve, Where does the translation travel to
The inner ear is responsible for sound translated to cranial nerve 8 (auditory),
Trouble cerebral cortex
What is the main responsibility of the inner ear
How do you test it
(Awareness)
The main responsibility of the inner ear is for vestibular function which accounts for proprioception does the awareness of position moving in balance
Tested by moving the patient’s thumb with her eyes closed and Them telling you what direction you moved it in
What ear structure is responsible for balance and what can it cause (feeling)
The semicircular canals are responsible for balance
Can cause vertigo: feeling of room spinning and stuffy ears
What is the entire goal of the Valsalva maneuver and how does it open the Estachian tube
The entire goal of the Valsalva maneuver is to create a balance in ear pressure
Open Estachian tube by force
What is the organ of Corti responsible for
Responsible for producing electrical impulses for cranial nerve 8
What causes problems with air conduction and hearing (in the way)
And what are these problems affected by
Blockage of external auditory canal
Affected by: any blockage(cerumen)
Inflammation
Foreign body
What are the two different pathways sound is perceived (give all related info)
Think rinne test 
Air condition: most efficient method, normal pathway of sound to middle ear
Bone conduction: deliver sound directly to inner ear by
- Vibrations
- Waves
What two components of sound does a cochlea interpret
Air condition and bone conduction
 what does the rinne test test
Give the process including counting of time
What is the normal finding
Rinne test evaluates air conduction and bone conduction
Process:
-activate tuning fork place over a message process
-Count seconds until patient cannot hear vibrating sound
-move to the opening of external ear(Without activating again)
-Count until patient cannot hear vibration
Normal finding: AC X2> BC
What does the weber test evaluate
what is the process
What are the normal findings v abnorm
We were test evaluates sensoneuro loss
Process:
-activate tuning fork and place in middle of parietal bones that lines with both ears
Normal finding: sound in both ears has equal intensity
Abnormal finding unilateral hearing loss (only1 ear hears) 


What does the Romberg test test for
Romberg test for equilibrium
What cranial nerve does a whisper test test for
what does the whisper test evaluate (what sounds picth)
Give the process of the whisper test
Give nirmal and abnorm findings
Whisper test evals CN8
Whisper test evaluate high pitch hearing loss
Process: -stand 18 inches away from testing ear(open ear) ON SAME SIDE  -whisper simple words “baseball” -Have patient repeat words -repeat on other ear
Normal: repeat words
Abnormal: patient can’t hear (hearing loss) 

Define EXTERNAL conductive hearing loss
give a cause (in the way)
How do you resolve conductive hearing loss
(What are you doing 2things)
 conductive hearing loss is a sound wave transmission disrupted through external or middle ear
Cause: external ear blockage
Resolution: remove object
- Foreign body (can be insect)
- Cerumen
What can MIDDLE EAR Conductive hearing loss due to
Otitis media by fluid accumulation
What are four things hearing difficulties can result in
(increased risk, unhappy, health, increased hurt)
1 increased risk of depression
- Dissatisfaction with life
3 decrease in functional health
4 increase an injury
Why does an increased risk of depression occur with hearing difficulties and how can you resolve it
Resolved by?
Increase risk of depression with hearing difficulties happen because
- patient cannot socialize cannot participate and withdrawals
Resolved by assessing hearing
What is sensorineural hearing loss
Give two common examples of sensorineural hearing loss
- With age
- Ringing give causes 5 1 is a vaccine
Problem from inner ear to auditory complex
Examples
1.presbycusis: Gradual degeneration of nerve and other structures
Ralated to: age and ototixic rx
Resolve: assess medications
- Aminoglycosides (gentamicin)
- NSAID (moltrin)
- diuretic (LASIX)
- neoplatic rx
- vaccines: MMR
- Tinnitus: ringing in ear
Resolve: assess if on aspirin
What percentage of the population does tinnitus affect and why
Tinnitus affects 15% of the population due to high aspirin dose or unknown cause
