Hearing Loss Flashcards
What are the two types of hearing loss?
Conductive
Sensironeural
What is otitis media with effusion?
AKA glue ear
When the Eustachian tube becomes blocked and fluid builds in the middle ear -> this becomes glue like and can lead to conductive hear loss
Compare OME (glue ear) with AOM on the following factors;
- otalgia
- bulging tympanic membrane
- discharge
- hearing loss
- fever
OME
- no otalgia
- no fever
- no bulging tympanic membrane (potentially retracted)
- potentially occasional discharge
- conductive hearing loss
AOM
- otalgia
- fever
- bulging tympanic membrane
- opaque discharge
- sometimes temporary conductive - if repeated AOM -> perforated eardrum -> conductive hearing loss
Describe how the Rinne test can show conductive hearing loss?
Using tuning fork
If louder when tuning fork placed on mastoid bone
BC > AC = conductive hearing loss
If louder when held infront of ear as opposed to bone
AC > BC = normal
What is the name for the condition is which a buildup of keratin occurs in the middle hearing which can lead to conductive ear loss, erosion of bones in the middle ear and allow it to become a breeding ground for infection?
Cholesteatoma
Where can infection spread to after being in the middle ear? This is more common in cholesteatoma
Mastoid bone - mastoiditis
How is cholesteatoma managed?
Excision surgery prevents condition from worsening
Along with conductive hearing loss what other symptoms might a patient with cholesteatoma present with?
Dizziness
Intermittent discharge
Child presents with poor school performance and increasingly worse behaviour.
They do not complain of otalgia but on tuning fork test Rinne test shows BC > AC.
How should this patient be managed?
Likely to be otitis media effusion
Re-review in 3mnths time if symptoms persist refer to ENT
Surgery with grommets
If on audiometry results there is a dip at 4kHz what is this suggestive of?
Sensironeural hearing loss due to noise
What is presbycusis?
How will it present on audiometry?
Age-related hearing loss
Struggle at high frequencies but okay at low
Will complain of struggling with speech and when noisy background around them
What tumour should be investigated in a patient with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss?
How is it imaged?
How is it managed?
Vestibucular schwannoma - rare benign tumour of VII nerve sheath
MRI scan
- Surgery
- Radiotherapy for small tumours (<3cm)
In conductive hearing loss what side would Weber’s test localise to?
The affected side
What AB can cause sensironeural hearing loss?
Can present with bilateral tinnitus
Gentamicin
When using an audiometry chart above what level indicates normal hearing?
> 20dB
