Module 4.9 Special Senses Conditions Flashcards
Define visual acuity
vision sharpness
Define Snellen eye chart
pt reads letters of various sizes from a distance of 20 feet
Define colored vision
- assess the pt’s ability to recognize different colors
- tested with multicolored chart used to tested colored vision
Define tonometry
measures the pressure inside the eye
Define tuning fork tests
- used to test for hearing loss
- can help distinguish between perceptive & conductive hearing loss
Define Rhinne test
- tuning fork is struck then held on mastoid process until pt can’t hear sound
- then held on outside of ear
- pt w/ healthy hearing a sound again as air conduction is faster than bone conduction of sound
Define conductive hearing loss
- when there is external or middle ear & sound can’t travel to the inner ear
- caused by obstruction of cerumen, fluid in middle ear, mass, otosclerosis (stiffness of ossicles), separation of ossicles in middle
Define sensorineural hearing loss
- occurs when there is deterioration of the cochlea
- more common in older adults
- caused by aging, persistent loud noise, head trauma, or systemic diseases
Define cochlear implants
-small electronic devices that are surgically implanted to stimulate the cochlea with sounds detected on a receiver
- don’t restore hearing
- enhance transmission of environmental sounds & speech to improve understanding of surroundings
Define acute otitis media
bacterial infection of the middle ear
Define eustachian tube
- where u can get viral upper respiratory infections
- connects from middle ear to throat
- fluid & mucus builds up in middle ear & then becomes infected w/ bacteria
Define typanocentesis
- may be necessary for persistent infections to obtain a sample of bacterial culture & to relieve pressure behind the TM
Define vertigo
sensation of movement where there is no motion or exaggerated sense of movement in response to motion
- feeling of spinning or room spinning
- due to disturbance in middle ear from injury, infection, inflammation, positioning
Define Ménière’s syndrome
where pts experience episodic vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, & pressure in one ear
Define labyrinthitis
inflammation of the inner ear
Benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV)
condition of vertigo that is associated with changes in the position of the head
Define cataracts
- opacities of the lens of the eye
- leading cause of blindness
-can be genetic or a result of a systemic disease, such as DM
Define phacolysis or phacoemulsification,
the cataract is dissolved w/ ultrasound and then removed, & a lens implant put in place.
Define conjunctivitis
- inflammation of the conjunctiva
- known as pinkeye
- most commonly caused by a bacterial or viral infection
- caused by allergens, chemical irritants & trauma
- SX: redness of the eye, increased tearing, thick discharge from the eye that crusts while sleeping, and itchy and burning eyes
-requires antibiotic eyedrops and also resolves within 10-14 days.
Define Glaucoma
- increased intraocular pressure secondary to a backup of fluid in the eye
- can damage the optic nerve and the cells of the retina, resulting in decreased vision or blindness.
Define Aqueous humor
- fluid that fills the anterior chamber of the eye
- produced in the posterior chamber and passes through the pupil into the anterior chamber
Define acute angle-closure glaucoma
- when the acute angle of the anterior chamber is blocked completely & the aqueous humor cannot flow out of the eye
- SX: eye pain & blurry vision
- TX: treated with IV & topical medications that reduce the pressure in the eye
Define chronic glaucoma
- when the flow of aqueous humor in the eye is slowed through the trabecular meshwork
- TX: treated with topical medication to decrease the pressure in the eye & laser procedure called a trabeculoplasty.
