Hearing Loss Flashcards
what is conductive hearing loss? what is an example of what could cause this? how is this managed?
- something in the outer or inner ear that is preventing sounds from getting into the inner ear
ex. wax impaction –> kinda acts like an earplug
ex. fluid from an ear infection - can be medically managed
what is sensorineural hearing loss? who experiences this?
- loss in the inner ear
- damage to hair cells in the ear
- generally permanent
- more associated with aging or noise exposure
what is the outer part of our ear called?
- pinna or auricle
what is found at the end of the ear canal?
- ear drum or tympanic membrane
what does the eardrum do
- it vibrates in response to sound
what are the 3 small bones inside our body called?
- malleus
- incus
- stapes
what is the stapes
- smallest bone
- it interfaces with our cochlea
what is the cochlea
- inner ear
how does noise exposure cause sensorineural hearing loss?
- damages the cells in the inner ear
- once these cells are gone, theyre gone for good
what are characteristics of conductive hearing loss
- physical blockage
- difficulty hearing low pitched tones
what is cerumen? how does this change with age
- earwax
- get accumulation with age
how does the ear drum change with age
- becomes stiffer and thinner
what are the ossicles? how do they change with age?
- these are the 3 small bones in the ear (malleus, stapes, incus)
- get calcification with age
how do the ear muscles change with age?
- become weaker
how does sound movement change through the ear change with age?
- diminished sound movement through the inner ear
how does the CNS change with age?
- changes
what are nonmodifiable risk factors for hearing loss?
- male
- increased age
- genetic predisposition
what are risk factors for hearing loss that we can control?
- exposure to noise
- impacted cerumen
- exposure to second hand smoke
- use of ototoxic meds
- education level
- medical conditions
which meds are ototoxic
- ASA
- NSAIDs
- Lasix
- aminoglycosides
what medical conditions are risk factors for hearing loss
- DM
- HTM
- CVD
- head injury
what are the functional consequences of hearing loss?
- cognitive & physical decline
- leads to faster changes in brain structure (not only structures associated with hearing but also memory & learning)
- more likely to develop dementia (2x for mild, 5x for severe)
- cause depression, loneliness, social isolation –> decreased quality of life
- drop in IQ
- decreased safety
what are the 3 main dominos effects of hearing loss?
- social isolation
- more load on the brain
- faster changes to brain structures (due to constant stress on brain)
how does cerumen impaction cause hearing loss?
- interferes with the conduction of sound through the air in the eardrum
what is the most common cause of hearing loss?
- cerumen impaction
- easily corrected
what individuals are at a higher risk of impaction
- individuals who wear hearing aids
- older men with large amounts of ear canal tragi (ear hair)
what is presbycusis
- loss of high frequency
- due to age-related changes
what type of hearing loss is presbycusis
- sensorineural
are both ears or just one impacted by presbycusis
- both ears affected
what further aggravates presbycusis
- background noise
what does presbycusis cause
- diminished speech discrimination
what is tinnitus
- perception of sound in the absence of acoustic stimuli
how else can you describe tinnitus
- ringing of the ears
- buzzing
- whistling
- bell sounds
- pulsating humming
- swishing
what can cause tinnitus
- symptom of underlying condition
what underlying conditions can cause tinnitus
- impacted cerumen
- Meniere’s disease
- traumatic brain injury
- temporomandibular joint dysfunction
what are risk factors for tinnitus
- old age
- increased exposure to noise
- ototoxic meds
what can improve the symptoms of tinnitus
- hearing aids
what can worsen symptoms of tinnitus
- caffeine
- smoking
- alcohol
describe the nursing assessment of hearing
- identify risk factors
- assess for awareness or presence of hearing loss
- observe for behavioral cues
- physical assessment
- use a screening tool
what is the nursing intervention for hearing wellness
- risk factor awareness
- education on ototoxic med
- screen for hearing loss
- promote cerumenolytics
- refer to specialist
- consider assistive listening devices
- monitor proper hearing aid use
how can nurses communicate with older adults who are hearing impaired?
- stand or sit directly in front
- speak towards good ear
- speak slowly, clearly, use low tone
- reduce background noise
- use good lighting
- match body language to what you are saying
- one person speak at a time
- ensure glasses & hearing aids are in place
- do no shout