Head and Neck Cancer

Question 1

HEARING LOSS - to finish with melb ppt and kelsey notes

List the 5 possible symptoms of the ear.

Answer 1

1. Otorrhoea → the discharge must involve the outer ear, but if it is a middle ear problem their must be a ruptured tympanic membrane.
2. Otalgia → could be middle, outer ear but disease processes of inner ear do not cause pain.
3. Hear → outer, middle and inner
4. Tinnitus → (ringing) if they complain mainly of ringing it is likely to be inner ear
5. Vertigo → inner ear

Question 2

What are the types hearing loss?

Answer 2

a. Conductive: outer ear or middle ear pathology
b. Sensorineural: inner ear
c. Mixed
d. Central: stroke to primary auditory centre

Question 3

Symbols on the audiogram. What do they mean?

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Answer 3

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Question 4

What are the classifications of hearing loss?

Answer 4

Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Profound

Question 5

What is normal hearing?

Answer 5

• Air and bone conduction are similar
• Hearing threshold is 20dB or better

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Question 6

What is mild hearing loss?

Answer 6

• 20-40dB
• Manage in quiet situations with clear voices
• Difficult to hear soft speech and conversation
• Difficult to hear in background noise
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Question 7

What is moderate hearing loss?

Answer 7

• 41-60dB
• Will miss most of the conversation
  • Pronunciation is not clear
  • Difficulty in background
  noise
  • Limited vocabulary

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Question 8

What is severe hearing loss?

Answer 8

• 61-90dB
  • Will not hear most conversational speech
  • Speech and language do not develop spontaneously
  • Very limited vocabulary
  • Pronunciation is not clear
  • Hearing aids will greatly assist the child to develop speech
  • Visual cues usually assist in
  understanding speech

Question 9

What is profound hearing loss?

Answer 9

> 91dB
• Cannot hear speech sounds
• Speech will not develop without a hearing aid or cochlear implant
• Will need manual communication for language if no implant

Question 10

What is sensorineural hearing loss?

Answer 10

Air and bone conduction are similar
Hearing threshold is worse than 20 dB

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Question 11

What is conductive hearing loss?

Answer 11

Air and bone conduction are different
Hearing threshold is 20 dB or better for BONE conduction
Hearing threshold is worse than 20dB for AIR conduction

Question 12

What is mixed hearing loss?

Answer 12

Hearing threshold is worse than 20 dB for BONE conduction and AIR conduction