Sensory Flashcards
What is sensory perception & what does it involve
The process of receiving stimuli or data, involves conscious organization of data or stimuli into meaningful information
Involves External and Internal stimuli
What is involved in external stimuli
Visual:vision
Auditory:hearing
Olfactory:smell
Gustatory:taste
Tactile:tiuch
What is involved in internal stimuli
Kinesthetic and visceral: Basic internal orienting systems
and Stereognosis: The perception of solidity of objects
What are the 4 aspects of the sensory process
Stimulus, Receptor, Impulse conduction and Perception
What is cognition
The process by which the individual learns, stores, retrieves and uses information
What is awareness
The ability of perceive environmental stimuli and respond through thought and action
What congenital and heredity conditions are risk factors: Age group
PREMATURE INFANTS
50% of hearing loss
Blindess: congenital cataracts
Visual and healing disturbances due to fetal alcohol syndrome
Auditory processing disorder; difficulty differentiating individual sounds in words
In older adults, who is more at risk for visual disorders
AFRICAN AMERICANS & HISPANICS
Open angle cataracts
AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVES
Prone to visual impairment due to refractive error
What illnesses can become risk factors
Artherosclerosis
Hypertension
Strokes
Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus ( can cause blindness)
Maternal diabetes
Repeated bouts of otitis media in children
What are nonspecific alterations & some common ones
May result from aging, genetic factors, underlying illness and lifestyle factors
vertigo, color blindess, impaired olfaction, taste disturbances
What is a Refractive error
Vision problem where reading material must be held at a distance in order to focus
Reading glasses or bifocals are needed
What is presbyopia
Permanent loss of visual accommodation of the crystalline lens of the eye that occurs with age
What is a Cataract
The clumping of lens protein causing an opacity or cloudiness of the lens
Accumulates a yellow-brown pigment
Increased by aging
Leading cause of disability in the US
What are some Indications of Cataracts
Painless, blurry vision
Sensitivity to glare
Reduced visual acuity
Myopic shift, astigmatism, double vision and color shifts may also occur
How would you go about caring for impaired patients
Teach patient self care behaviors
Acknowledge your presence in the room
Speak in a normal tone, calmly and directly
Explain reasoning to touching patient before doing so
Keep the call light within reach
Orient the patient to sounds in the environment
Assist in ambulation
Stay in the patients field of vision
Specific examples for hearing impairs patients
Decrease background noises before speaking
Check the patients hearing aid
Position yourself so light is on your face
Use sign language if needed
Write anything out that you can’t convey in another manner
How would you go about communicating with an unconscious patient
Be careful what is said in the patients presence, hearing is the last sense that is lost
Assume that the patient can hear you and talk in a normal tone
Speak to the patient before touching
Keep environment noises at a low level
What can you do to help prevent deterioration of senses
Incorporate environmental stimuli!!!
Risk factors
smoking, UV light exposure, medications, stress, isolation, injuries
What is sensory overload
Experiencing so much sensory that the brain is unable to respond meaningfully or just ignores the stimuli
What is sensory deprivation
Environment has decreased stimuli, impaired ability to receive any stimuli
Effects: Perceptual, cognitive and emotional disturbances
Hearing screenings
Newborns are routinely screened
Preschoolers & school-age kids are screened periodically at school/healthcare provider
Adults every 10 years until the age of 50, then every 3 years after that
Vision screenings
Children btwn 3-5 are screened at least once
Comprehension eye exam is done at age 40
adults with no illnesses:
every 2-4 years for 40-54 yr olds
every 1-3 years for ages 55-64
every 1-2 years for ages 65 and above
Assessment: Observation & patient interview
vision: look for glasses, squinting, clouds cornea
hearing: hearing aids, sign language
Get through history of any current sensory function deficits or any recent changes
Assess for chronic diseases or illnesses and any medications
Ask questions to get data about all senses
Assessment: Mental status examination
Any mental changes, history of mood disorder or delirium
Assess for problems with level of consciousness, orientation, memory or attention span
Assessment: Patients at risk
altered mobility, multiple comorbidities( diabetes, heart problems, dizziness, arthritis, breathing and joint problems), are older, involved in contact sports and those who smoke
In vision: DM,Heart problems,Breathing problems,Joint problems
In hearing:DM,Dizziness,Arthiritis
Assessment: Patients environment
Assess for quantity, quality and type of stimuli
Assess for their support networks, do they live alone, have visitors, are there signs of social deprivation?
Assessment: Physical examination
Assess all the senses and if patient uses any devices and do those devices function properly and is patient complaint in using them
vision: eye chart, if they were contacts or glasses. pen movements
hearing: look at internal ear structure, do whisper test
smell: swab vanilla
tactile: stereognosis, kinesthesia
What are some overall independent interventions
Focusing on education, injury, prevention and wellness
Teach patient about appropriate medications and the effective use of any assistive device
managing acute sensory deficits
Encourage the use of sensory aids
Promote using other senses
Ensure safety
Adapt to limits imposed by sensory loss ( if visually impaired, enjoy music, podcasts, audiobooks, If hearing impaired, enjoy emails and texts instead of calling )
Preventing sensory overload
reducing the number and type of stimuli & organizing stimuli
( visual= use uv protection, hearing=use earplugs & soft background music )
preventing sensory deprivation
read, touch objects, have clocks present for patient, encourage visitors, allow fragrant plants or fresh flowers
promoting effective coping
vision impaired: have increased risk for depression, promote safe surroundings (clear pathways, make sure good lighting is visible, call light in reach )
hearing impaired: make sure they have devices that can amplify sound for them, or that will respond to sound with lights, and make sure tv has closed captions
smelling impaired: make sure no dangerous cleaning chemicals are around, make sure gas is working fine and in order, inspect food for freshness and safety
touch impaired: they can’t feel if something is hot so watch out for that, adjust temperatures of water to avoid burns, prevent pressure ulcers
Collaborative intervantions
Eye doctor, Hearing doctor, PT and OT, sign language, surgery for eye disease or eye muscle surgery, Surgery for polyps snd deviated septum
Medication if needed ( medicated eye drops, meds for infection, drops for dryness )
Life span considerations for pregnant women
Tinnitus, Vertigo, Heightened sense of smell: nausea, food cravings
