Ear Flashcards
External ear?
Outer structures of the ear that collect sound
Pinna?
The medical term for the outer ear is the auricle or pinna
External auditory meatus or canal
External passage for sounds collected from the pinna to the tympanum
Cerumen
A waxy substance secreted by glands located throughout the external canal
Middle ear
Vibrate sound from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear
Eustachian tube
Auditory tube
Tube connecting the middle ear to the pharynx (throat)
Eustachian tube
Adult and child
Child
- Shorter, wider, and horizontal than adult’s
- Easier to pathogens get in
From nasopharynx to migrate through to middle ear
Cochlea
蝸牛
The coiled tubular structure of the inner ear
- Transforms sound waves
- System for balance.
Sensorineural hearing loss
- The most common type
- Caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve
- Permanent
Hearing aids are the gold standard treatment
Mixed hearing loss
- Combination symptoms
- May be damage in the outer or middle ear
- May be damage in the inner ear or nerve pathway to the brain
Weber Test
Hit and then Place 512 fork in midline of head
Ask if the sound is louder in one ear than the other
Rinne Test
Bone Conduction and Air Conduction
Normal hearing
Air-conduction time is twice as long as the bone conduction.
AC>BC
If a patient has hearing lo
-Air conduction is heard longer than bone conduction, but it is not heard to be twice as long.
Romberg test
Assesses the ability of vestibular apparatus in the inner ear to help maintain standing balance
-Should be able to stand with minimal swaying for at least 5 seconds
Conductive hearing loss
- Sounds cannot get through the outer and middle ear
- Range from earwax to ruptured eardrums
- Temporary
Otoscopy
-To examine the external auditory canal and tympanic membrane
Bracing technique
External Ear (inspect & palpate)
Adult and child
Adult
-Pull pinna up and back
Infant and child under 3
-Pull pinna straight down
Presbycusis
- A normative age-related loss of the ability to hear high-pitched tones.
- Effect of aging on hearing by nerve degeneration
- Usually occurs in 50s
Impacted cerumen is a common but reversible cause of hearing loss in older people
Otosclerosis
-Common cause of conductive hearing los young adults (between 20 to 40)
- Abnormal bone formation
- Gradual hardening that causes stapes to become fixed
- Impeding transmission of sound and causing progressive deafness
Inspect and palpate external ear?
- Size and shape
- Skin condition
- Tenderness
- External auditory meatus
Vestibular apparatus
Romberg test
Air Conduction?
Differentiate between air conduction and bone conduction
The normal pathway of hearing;
It is the most efficient
Bone Conduction?
Differentiate between air conduction and bone conduction
-Alternate route of hearing
-Bone of the skull vibrate
these vibrations are transmitted directly to the inner ear and to the cranial nerve VIII/8
Describe the whispered voice test of the hearing acuity
*Stand arm’s length (2 ft.) behind the person
*Test one ear at a time/done by placing one finger on the tragus and pushing in and out of the auditory meatus.
*Exhale fully and whisper slowly a set of 3 random numbers and letters
* If the response is not correct, repeat the whispered test using a different combination of 3 numbers/letters
*A passing score is at least 3 correct out of 6 items whispered
Subjective data-Ear
- Earaches
- Infections
- Discharge
- Hearing loss
- Environmental noise
- Tinnitus(Ringing or buzzing noise)
- Vertigo/ dizziness
- Self-care behaviors
__________ is a perceived sound that has no external stimulus and is commonly heard as musical ringing or a rushing or roaring noise
Tinnitus
In __________ hearing loss, sound is heard longer through air
sensorineural
Sensorineural hearing loss usually starts in childhood
True or false
False
