Sensory: Ear Flashcards
How is the vestibular system involved in balance?
The vestibular system provides feedback regarding the movements and position of the head and body in space.
It works in cooperation with the muscles, joints, and visual system.
What is the purpose of an otoscopic examination?
To assess the tympanic membrane for abnormalities such as fluid, air bubbles, blood, or masses.
A normal tympanic membrane should appear pearly gray.
What does the
Weber test assess?
The Weber test uses bone conduction to test lateralization of sound, useful for detecting unilateral hearing loss.
A normal result shows sound heard equally in both ears.
What is the Rinne test used for?
The Rinne test distinguishes between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
A normal result shows air conduction greater than bone conduction.
What are the early symptoms of hearing loss?
- Tinnitus
- Increased difficulty hearing in groups
- Turning up the volume on devices.
Impairment may be gradual and not immediately recognized.
Explain Deaf Culture
- Individuals born with limited hearing
- Developed hearing loss before developing spoken language
- Prefer ASL
- Deaf is a normal existence
- Associates with the Deaf community
Explain deafness
- Hard of hearing
- Audiologic condition
- Medical issue
- Prefers to speak/lip read
- Wants to become normal
- Prefers the term “hearing impaired”
- Wants to associate with the hearing world
Which foreign objects in the ear should not be irrigated?
Objects that may swell
e.g. vegetables and insects
What is presbycusis?
Presbycusis describes progressive hearing loss associated with aging.
It often leads to an inability to hear high-pitched sounds.
What is cerumen impaction and how is it treated?
Cerumen impaction is the blockage caused by earwax, treated by irrigation, suction, or instrumentation.
Gentle irrigation with low pressure is advised.
What is
Acute Otitis Media?
Acute otitis media is an infection of the middle ear, often seen in children, caused by bacterial or viral pathogens.
What are clinical manifestations of Acute Otitis Media?
- Otalgia (ear pain)
- Conductive hearing loss
- Purulent exudate
What are common causes of
Acute Otitis Media?
- Chronic respiratory infections
- Chronic exposure to second hand smoke
- Predisposition to ear infections (down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, cleft palate)
What is the typical treatment for
Acute Otitis Media?
- Antibiotic Therapy
- Surgical procedures: Tympanotomy and Myringotomy
What is Serous Otitis Media?
- Fluid in the middle ear without evidence of infection
- Results from a negative pressure in the middle ear caused by obstruction in the eustachian tube
What is Chronic Otitis Media?
- Result of recurrent acute otitis media
- Cholesteatoma-cyst-like lesion = benign tumor
- Chronic infection damages the tympanic membrane, auditory ossicle, and if untreated can destroy the mastoid bone
What are tympanostomy tubes used for?
Tympanostomy tubes are small cylinders inserted into the tympanic membrane to allow fluid drainage and equalize pressure.
They are often used for recurrent acute otitis media, chronic otitis media with effusion, and persistent middle ear infections
What is Ménière’s disease?
Ménière’s disease is a chronic inner ear disorder characterized by episodic vertigo, tinnitus, and fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss.
Can be accompianied by fullness/pressure, nausea, and vomiting
It is caused by abnormal fluid balance in the inner ear.
What are the different Vestibular System Disorders?
Dizziness: any altered sense of orientation in space
Vertigo: the illusion of motion or a spinning sensation
Nystagmus: Involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyes associated with vestibular dysfunction
Motion sickness: A disturbance of equilibrium caused by a conflict in motion receptor stimuli
Tinnitus: Ringing in the ears. Usually a symptom of an underlying disorder
Labyrinthitis: An inflammation of the inner ear caused by bacteria or virus
Benign positional vertigo: A temporary sensation of vertigo when the patient’s head is changed with respect to gravity
Ototoxicity: Due to medications adverse effects
Acoustic neuroma: Tumor of the VIII cranial nerve
Inner ear disorders
What are the types of hearing loss?
The types of hearing loss include:
* Conductive
* Sensorineural
* Mixed
* Functional (psychogenic)
Conductive loss is due to external or middle ear issues, while sensorineural loss is due to inner ear damage.
What treatments are involved for Serous and Chronic Otitis Media?
Treatments include tympanoplasty, ossiculoplasty, or mastoidectomy.
These procedures aim to repair or remove damaged structures in the middle ear.
What are common risk factors for hearing loss?
Common risk factors include:
* Exposure to excessive noise
* Congenital malformations
* Family history
* Low birth weight
* Recurrent ear infections
* Ototoxic medications (e.g. Loop Diuretics)
What are common causes for
External Otitis?
- Bacterial infection (ie. Staphylococcus aureus or pseudomonas)
- Fungal Infection (ie. Aspergillus)
- Trauma
- Vitamin deficiency
- Endocrine disorders
- Dermatosis
What is External Otitis?
Inflammation of the external auditory canal, can be noninfectious or infectious
Commonly known as Swimmer’s Ear when bacterial or fungal
