Health assessment-test 2-ears Flashcards
external ear
rare to get an infection here; swimmer’s ear is most common external ear infection
middle ear
most infections of the ear occur here
tympanic membrane
aka eardrum; the external auditory canal terminates at the tympanic membrane
cerumen
ear wax; prevents infection; yellow to orange
cone of light
points toward chin; if it is on the bottom right, right ear; if it is on the bottom left, left ear
otitis externa
severe swelling of canal, inflammation, tenderness (external canal)
otitis media
middle ear infection; absent light reflex from increasing middle ear pressure is an early sign; redness and bulging, earache and fever; occurs because of obstruction of the eustachian tube or passage of nasopharyngeal secretions into the middle ear
presbycusis
hearing loss due to old age; usually lose high frequency; worse in noisy environments; gradual onset
tinnitus
phantom sound that originates within the person; occurs with cerumen impaction, middle ear infection and other ear disorders
vertigo
Objective–feels like room spins
Subjective–person feels as if he or she spins
tragus
skin fold over exterior canal opening
antitragus
hump of skin on the lower opening of external canal
antihelix
flat piece of skin below helix
helix
upper fold of skin at top of ear
Whisper test
stand an arms length away (2 feet) behind pt; have pt. cover tragus of one ear while you whisper
Whisper is a high frequency sound so it can detect high frequency hearing loss
Rinne test
tuning fork placed on mastoid process; normal is ac>bc (air conduction is greater than bone conduction)
Think: earring
Weber Test
tuning fork; strike and place midline on forehead; normal=no laterilzation (feels same on both sides)
Think: walk into a spider web
otoscopic exam
adult: pull pinna up and back
infant/child: pull pinna straight down
tympanic membrane
normal: shiny, translucent and pearly gray in color
Red without cone of light indicate otitis media
infants with otitis media pull on their ears
What is a major risk factor of otitis media?
second hand smoke (also absence of breastfeeding in the first three months of age, daycare attendance, male sex, pacifier use, seasonality-fall and winter, and bottle feeding)
