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