special senses

Flashcards covering the vocabulary related to eye and ear conditions, combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes.

blephar/o

Eyelid

dacry/o

Tear, lacrimal apparatus

phac/o

Lens

presby/o

Old age

scler/o

Sclera (white of the eye); hardening

scot/o

Darkness

vitr/o

Vitreous body (of the eye)

audi/o

Hearing

salping/o

Eustachian tube (also fallopian tube)

myring/o

Tympanic membrane (eardrum)

ot/o

Ear

mastoid/o

Mastoid process (bone behind ear)

-opsia

Vision

-tropia

Turning (of the eye)

exo-

Outward, outside

Blepharitis

Inflammation of the eyelid

Night blindness

Also called nyctalopia, difficulty seeing in low light

Amblyopia

Dim or dull vision (often called 'lazy eye')

Glaucoma

Increased intraocular pressure causing damage to the optic nerve

Cataract

Clouding of the eye lens causing blurry vision

Conjunctivitis

Inflammation of the conjunctiva (pink eye)

Macular degeneration

Deterioration of the retina’s central part, leading to vision loss

Diabetic retinopathy

Damage to retina due to diabetes

Strabismus

Misalignment of the eyes (can be esotropia or exotropia)

Presbyopia

Age-related difficulty focusing on near objects

Otitis media

Middle ear infection, common in children

Tinnitus

Ringing or buzzing in the ears

Vertigo

Dizziness caused by inner ear disorders

Meniere disease

Inner ear disorder with vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss

Anacusis

Total deafness or complete loss of hearing

Otalgia

Ear pain

Otosclerosis

Abnormal hardening of ear bones, causing hearing loss

Tympanoplasty

Surgical repair of the eardrum

Audiometry

Test to measure hearing ability

Cochlear implant

Device that stimulates auditory nerve for those with severe hearing loss

Ophthalmoscope

Tool to examine the retina and inner eye

Visual acuity test

Measures clarity of vision (e.g., Snellen chart)

Tonometry

Test to measure intraocular pressure (for glaucoma)

Laser photocoagulation

Laser used to treat retinal disorders

Myringotomy

Small incision in the eardrum to relieve pressure or drain fluid