Module 4.9 Special Senses Conditions

Question 1

Define visual acuity

Answer 1

vision sharpness

Question 2

Define Snellen eye chart

Answer 2

pt reads letters of various sizes from a distance of 20 feet

Question 3

Define colored vision

Answer 3

• assess the pt’s ability to recognize different colors
• tested with multicolored chart used to tested colored vision

Question 4

Define tonometry

Answer 4

measures the pressure inside the eye

Question 5

Define tuning fork tests

Answer 5

• used to test for hearing loss
• can help distinguish between perceptive & conductive hearing loss

Question 6

Define Rhinne test

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Define conductive hearing loss

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Define sensorineural hearing loss

Answer 8

• occurs when there is deterioration of the cochlea
• more common in older adults
• caused by aging, persistent loud noise, head trauma, or systemic diseases

Question 9

Define cochlear implants

Answer 9

-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

Question 10

Define acute otitis media

Answer 10

bacterial infection of the middle ear

Question 11

Define eustachian tube

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

Define typanocentesis

Answer 12

• may be necessary for persistent infections to obtain a sample of bacterial culture & to relieve pressure behind the TM

Question 13

Define vertigo

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Define Ménière’s syndrome

Answer 14

where pts experience episodic vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, & pressure in one ear

Question 15

Define labyrinthitis

Answer 15

inflammation of the inner ear

Question 16

Benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV)

Answer 16

condition of vertigo that is associated with changes in the position of the head

Question 17

Define cataracts

Answer 17

• opacities of the lens of the eye
• leading cause of blindness

-can be genetic or a result of a systemic disease, such as DM

Question 18

Define phacolysis or phacoemulsification,

Answer 18

the cataract is dissolved w/ ultrasound and then removed, & a lens implant put in place.

Question 19

Define conjunctivitis

Answer 19

• 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.

Question 20

Define Glaucoma

Answer 20

• 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.

Question 21

Define Aqueous humor

Answer 21

• fluid that fills the anterior chamber of the eye
• produced in the posterior chamber and passes through the pupil into the anterior chamber

Question 22

Define acute angle-closure glaucoma

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

Define chronic glaucoma

Answer 23

• 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.