Visual and auditory conditions Flashcards
What is the prevalence of hearing loss in the UK (NHS England, 2017)?
11 million
1 in 6
The prevalence of hearing loss in England is estimated to increase to what figure by 2035 (NHS England, 2017)?
13 million
How many babies are born with some form of hearing loss every year (NHS England, 2017)?
840
How many children suffer with hearing loss (NHS England, 2017)?
50,000
What percentage of people over the age of 50 years suffer with hearing loss (NHS England, 2017)?
42%
What percentage of people over the age of 70 years suffer with hearing loss (NHS England, 2017)?
71%
What percentage of people retire early due to the impact of their hearing loss on communication at work (NHS England, 2017)?
41%
What percentage of those who identified “difficulty in hearing” as their main health problem were employed?
64% (compared with 77% of those with no long-term health issues or disability)
How much money is the UK economy estimated to lose per year in lost productivity and unemployment (NHS England, 2017)?
£25 billion
How many vision disorders are known to exist?
42
What is the main cause of sight loss in adults?
age-related macular degeneration
What percentage of adults in the UK have never had an eye examination (Eyecare Trust)?
10%
How many people in the UK fail to have regular sight tests (Eyecare Trust)?
20 million
What percentage of people in the UK admit to having problems with their vision (Eyecare Trust)?
85%
What proportion of children in the UK have an undetected problem with their vision (Eyecare Trust)?
1 in 5
What proportion of people in the UK are living with sight loss (Royal National Institute of Blind People, RNIB)?
1 in 30
What proportion of people aged 75 and over in the UK are living with sight loss (RNIB)?
1 in 5
How many people in the UK are forecast to be living with sight loss by 2050 (RNIB)?
4 million
What is the cost to the UK economy from sight loss (RNIB)?
£6.5 billion
How many people aged 65-84 in the UK are living with sight loss (RNIB)?
1.43 million
How many people in the UK are registered as blind or partially sighted (Access Economics)?
360,000
How many adults aged over 60 in the UK are living with a cataract (Public Health Action Support Team)?
570,000
What percentage of parents in the UK said their children have never had an eye test (College of Optometrists)?
25%
How many older people in the UK are living with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (RNIB)?
500,000
How many older people in the UK are living with glaucoma, either detected or undetected (EpiVision/RNIB)?
300,000
What percentage of people in the UK wear glasses (College of Optometrists)?
69%
What percentage of people in the UK wear contact lenses (College of Optometrists)?
13%
What six steps can help to keep your eyes and vision healthy (Vision Matters)?
healthy diet quit smoking maintain a healthy weight avoid exposure to UV light avoid digital eye strain using 20-20-20 rule book an eye test every two years
What foods are recommended for healthy eyes (Vision Matters)?
leafy greens (e.g. kale, spinach) brightly coloured fruit and vegetables (e.g. corn, carrots, orange sweet peppers, oranges) oily fish (e.g. salmon, tuna, mackerel) broccoli eggs
According to a study by the College of Optometrists, where are adults in the UK likely to turn to if they had an eye problem?
optometrist - 73% GP - 59% internet - 20% pharmacist/chemist - 11% walk-in clinic - 10% family member - 9% friend - 5% don't know - 2% none of these - 1%
According to the College of Optometrists, what treatments are used to correct vision in the UK?
glasses - 69%
contact lenses - 13%
laser eye surgery - 13%
none of these - 25%
How many people in the UK were registered as blind in 2017 (RNIB)?
350,000
How many people in the UK are registered as having a slight sight impairment (RNIB)?
176,125
How many people in the UK are registered as having severe sight impairment (RNIB)?
173,735
What proportion of people living with sight loss in the UK are women (RNIB)?
2 in 3
Which groups of people are at increased risk of sight loss (RNIB)?
BAME - increased risk of leading causes of sight loss
people with a learning disability - 10 times more at risk of blindness or partial sight loss than the general population
The causes of hearing loss can be divided into which two categories?
intrinsic factors (genetics) and extrinsic factors (environmental)
What is conductive hearing loss?
caused by impaired conduction of sound waves from the outer ear through the middle ear (tympanic membrane) to reach the inner ear
the inner ear cannot transduce sound waves into nerve impulses in the cochlea which pass to the auditory cortex
List some conditions that cause conductive hearing loss.
wax or foreign body otitis media (acute, serious, chronic) otitis externa otosclerosis damaged tympanic membrane ear barotrauma
What is sensorineural hearing loss?
caused by disease of the cochlea, the cochlear branch of the vestibular nerve (inner ear), or within the auditory cortex
sound waves are not processed correctly and they are hard to discriminate/distinguish
List some conditions that cause sensorineural hearing loss.
presbycusis noise pollution congenital Meniere's disease ototoxic drugs (e.g. aspirin, cisplatin, quinine, antibiotics, diuretics, chemotherapy) infections (e.g. mumps, syphilis)
Why is it important to complete a hearing assessment?
to eliminate other possible causes
to ensure appropriate onward referral
What signs involved with hearing loss would prompt further investigation, such as MRI?
if hearing loss is accompanied by any facial weakness or other symptoms
What is the first stage of an otoscopy?
wash hands
introduce yourself
explain procedure
obtain patient consent
What is the second stage of an otoscopy?
Which is your better hearing ear?
Have you got any pain or tenderness?
Can you give me a smile? - Look for facial weakness (1 of 5 cardinal symptoms of ear disease); facial nerve passes in the medial wall of the middle ear and may be affected by pathology in the ear)
What is the third stage of an otoscopy?
examine the better hearing ear
inspect external ear using light of otoscope
inspect skin colour and shape of pinna
look for other abnormalities (e.g. tophi, congenital defects)
look for surgical scars (endaural, postauricular)
What is the fourth stage of an otoscopy?
perform otoscopy to visualise the external auditory meatus and tympanic membrane
two sizes of speculum for the otoscope (choose the largest size speculum possible for the patient’s ear canal)
What is the fifth stage of an otoscopy?
when examining the right ear, hold the otoscope in the right hand
hold it like a pen, balanced between the thumb and index finger
extend the little finger and use this to rest against the patient’s face
What is the sixth stage of an otoscopy?
with the free left hand, pull the pinna gently upwards, outwards, and backwards to straighten the external ear canal and allow better view of the tympanic membrane
in children, pull the pinna down and back instead