L19 - Hearing & Balance disorders Flashcards
1. Revise anatomy of inner ear, vestibular cochlea nerve 2. Learn about disease of the outer and middle ear. 3. Disorder of inner eat affecting hearing and balance 4. Understand CNS lesions rarely cause hearing loss 5. Describe common causes of lightheadedness and feeling faint 6. Describe common causes of low BP, disease vestibular apparatus, brain stem and cerebellar disease
Describe the External Ear?
Auricle (pinna)
External Acoustic Meatus - ends at tympanic membranes
What is the function of the auricle?
Capture and direct sound waves towards external acoustic meatus.
Describe the tympanic membrane?
- Connective tissue structure.
- Connected to surrounding temporal bone by a fibrocartilaginous ring.
- Translucent.
Describe the functions of inner ear?
- Convert mechanical signals from middle ear into electrical signals.
- Maintain balance by detecting position and motion.
Where is the inner ear located?
Within the petrous part of temporal bone.
What are the two main components of the inner ear?
- Bony Labyrinth
2. Membranous Labyrinth
Describe the bony labyrinth?
- Series of bony cavities within the petrous part of the temporal bone.
a. cochlea
b. vestibule
c. three semi circular canals. - Structures lined internally with periosteum.
- Contain perilymph
Describe the membranous labyrinth?
- Lies within bony labyrinth.
- Consists of :
a. cochlear duct
b. semi-circular ducts
c. utricle
d. saccule. - filled with endolymph
Describe the 3 semi-circular canals of the bony labyrinth?
Lateral
Superior
Posterior
Describe the role of the vestibule?
- how is it separated from middle ear?
- anterior communication?
- posterior communication?
- Contains part of balance system.
- Separated from middle ear by oval window.
- Communicates anteriorly with cochlea
- communicates posteriorly with semi-circular canals.
What parts of the membranous labyrinth are located inside the vestibule?
Saccule
Utricle
What are the roles of the saccule and utricle?
detects?
which is bigger?
- Organs of balance.
- Detects:
a) movement
b) acceleration of head in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively. - Utricle larger > saccule
Describe the flow of endolymph?
- Drains from saccule and utricle into endolymphatic duct.
- Duct travels through the vestibular aqueduct to the posterior aspect of petrous part of temporal bone.
- Duct then expands to a sac where endolymph can be secreted and absorbed.
Describe the two systems involved in hearing?
- Conducting system
- external and middle ear - Perceiving system
- inner ear, central connections of brain
Describe the role of mastoid air cells?
- Protection of delicate structures of ear.
- regulate ear pressure
- possibly protect temporal bone during trauma.
What bones are housed in the middle ear?
- Malleus
- Incus
- Stapes
- conduct sound from tympanic membrane to inner ear.
Briefly describe the conduction system?
External Ear
- auricle: collects air borne sound waves, passed on to external auditory canal
- EAC transmits air borne sounds to TM
Middle ear
- T.M vibrates,
- sound waves converted to mechanical energy
- ossicles, transmit and amplify sound waves to cochlea.
Describe vertigo?
Illusion of movement of the patient or surroundings.
Explain what normal balance requires?
- Accurate sensory information from eyes, proprioceptive receptors and vestibular labyrinth with coordination of this information within brain.
- normal motor neural control by CNS of an intact MSK system.
How may vertigo arise?
- Peripheral vestibular disorders (labyrinthine).
- Middle ear infections spreading to the labyrinth.
- Central vestibular disorders (MS)
- External damage to vestibular system (trauma)