Ear Flashcards
What part of the ear are cerumen glands in
Outer ear
What color is new wax? Old wax?
New- honey colored
Old- darker, black
What’s the purpose of earwax
Inhibit bacterial & fungal growth, prevents water from entering skin
What is exostosis
Abnormal, benign, boney growth of temporal bone
What can cause otitis externa?
Lots of swimming & canal damage from cleaning
Do fungal infections cause more pain or more itching?
More itching than pain
What does the middle ear consist of?
Eardrum, tympanic cavity, & 3 ossicles
What does the eardrum look like
“Pearly gray” membrane, concave, tipped toward examiner
What are the two parts of the eardrum
Pars flacida & pars tensa
Where does the auditory tube from to/from?
Nasopharynx to middle ear
What is the short process of the tympanic membrane
The rounded part of the malleus
What is the long process of the tympanic membrane
The handle of the malleus; angles toward posterior
What is the light reflex
Triangular shaped reflection of light
what are three possible mechanisms responsible for blockage of auditory tube (middle ear problems)
Barotrauma, adenoid hyper trophy, mucosal swelling & excess mucus
What are the four fluids that can accumulate in the middle ear
Pus, serrous, mucus, blood
Classic signs & symptoms of suppurative otitis media
Earache, fever, trouble sleeping, diminished hearing, red bulging eardrum, dismissed landmarks, pus visible
How is the eardrum of a child different
More horizontal, shorter and narrow
Suppurative otitis media oftens happens with what?
URIs, allergies
What color is serrous fluid?
Yellow
What causes cloudy effusions?
Temporal bone fracture or shearing forces
What increases chances of getting middle ear effusions
Crowded child care facilities, secondhand smoke, bottle fed infants
What is the most common conventional treatment for ear infections
Wait and see prescription
Are larger or smaller perforations more likely to heal?
Smaller
What is tympanosclerosis?
White calcium patches on the drum from old perforations, chronic inflammation or previous tubes
What are cholesteatomas?
Cystic masses composed of epithelial cells & cholesterol in middle ear
What is otosclerosis
Abnormal ossification of ossicles especially fixation of stapes to oval window
What are classic symptoms of inner ear problems?
Vertigo, tinnitus, sensory hearing loss
Lateralization of webers test could mean what two things?
Air conduction loss on that side or sensorineural loss on the opposite side
What is the number 1 reason for sensorineural hearing loss?
Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
What is the second most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss
Noise-induced hearing loss
What is tinnitus
Ringing in the ear, only patient hears
What is labyrinthitis
Reduced or distorted hearing & vertigo, rarely painful
What generally causes labyrinthitis
Viral infection
What are some ear red flags
Sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss, vertigo, unilateral tinnitus, bleeding due to foreign object or pressure change injury
How long is the ear canal
1-1 1/2” long
