Sensory Perception Flashcards
What is sensation?
- ability to perceive stimulation through ones sensory organs. (Vision, hearing, taste, smells, touch)
- feeling of pain, temperature, light
What is perception?
-how one receives, organizes and interprets sensation
What is Sensory perception?
-refers to the ability to receive sensory input and through various physiologic processes in the body, translate the stimulus or data into meaningful information
Describe the scope of sensory perception?
- visions, hearing, taste, smell, touch
- optimal functioning to impairment
Who is at risk for sensory impairment?
- all human population
- increased risk: elderly (physiological changes, decline occurs in all five senses)
1) What is low vision?
2) What is blindness?
1) best corrected visual acuity of less than 20/40 in better seeing eye
2) best corrected visual acuity of less than 20/200
What are primary reasons for visual impairment?
- age related systemic diseases
- primary disorders of the eye
- natural decrease in the ability to focus on near objects (presbyopia)
What is presbyopia?
-loss of elasticity in the lens of eye, leading to decrease in the eyes ability to change the shape of the lens to focus on near objects such as fine print and decreased ability to adapt to light
What are the consequences of visual impairment?
Impact on safety -inability to read medication labels -difficulty navigating -difficulty driving -higher risk of falls Impact on quality of life -reduces independence, ability to read
What are the major cause of visual impairment and blindness amount older adults?
- cataracts
- macular degeneration
- glaucoma
- diabetic retinopathy
What can hearing loss range from?
-minor distortions to complete hearing loss
What is the most common sensory impairment?
Hearing loss
What is two ways that hearing loss can be?
-conductive or sensorineural
What is conductive hearing loss?
-from otosclerosis, infection, eardrum perforation, fluid accumulation
What is sensorineural hearing loss?
- pathological changes in the inner ear or nerve pathway
- presbycusis
What is cerumen impaction?
- interferes with conduction of sound through air in the eardrum
- easily corrected
What are risk factors for cerumen impaction?
- individuals who wear hearing aids
- older men with ear canal tragi (hair in ears)
What are the consequence of hearing loss?
Impact on Quality of life
-impairs ability to communicate with others and adds to social isolation
-leads to depression or low self esteem
Safety Issues
-unable to hear instructions (how to take meds)
-unable to hear car coming
-unable to hear doorbell
What is presbycusis?
- loss of high frequency, sensorineural hearing loss
- background noise further aggravate hearing deficit
- due to gradual loss of hair cells, fibrous changes in the small blood vessels that supply cochlea
What happens to olfactory in older adults?
- decrease olfactory epithelium, decreased nasal cilia
- ability to smell as well as the ability to distinguish smell
- loss of smell occurs at age 60, increase loss with age
What happens to touch in older adults?
Decrease sense of touch
What happens with loss of taste?
- decreased appetite, weight loss, malnutrition
- food poisoning
- increased risk of burns on tongue and esophagus
- decreased enjoyment of food
What happens with loss of smell?
- decreased quality of life
- decreased sense of taste
- Safety risk- can’t smell smoke, gas, spoiled food, chemicals
What happens with loss of touch?
-decreased ability to sense pain leading to increased injury, risk of hypo-hyperthermia, burns
