Lesson 9: Special Senses - Eyes and Ears

acoust/o

hearing, sound

audi/o, audit/o

hearing

blephar/o

eyelid

conjunctiv/o

conjunctiva

corne/o

cornea

dipl/o

double

ir/i, irid/o

iris

kerat/o

cornea (also: hard)

labyrinth/o

inner ear

myring/o

eardrum (tympanic membrane)

ocul/o

eye

ophthalm/o

eye

opt/o

vision

ot/o

ear

phak/o

lens of the eye

presby/o

old age

retin/o

retina

scler/o

sclera (white of eye); hard

trop/o

turn, change

tympan/o

eardrum (tympanic membrane)

bi-

two

eso-

inward

exo-

outward

hyper-

increased

hypo-

decreased

intra-

within

peri-

surrounding

sub-

below

-algia

pain

-cusis

hearing

-itis

inflammation

-metry

to measure

-opia

vision condition

-pexy

surgical fixation

-plasty

surgical repair

-rrhagia

bleeding

-rrhea

discharge

-scope

instrument for visual examination

-tomy

surgical incision

adnexa

The accessory structures (appendages) attached to an organ, such as the eye.

amblyopia

“Lazy eye” — reduced vision in one eye that lenses can’t correct.

ametropia

A refractive error; the eye can’t focus light properly.

anisocoria

Unequal pupil sizes between the two eyes.

astigmatism

Blurred vision caused by an unevenly curved cornea.

audiometry

Measuring hearing sharpness with an audiometer.

cataract

Clouding of the lens that slowly blurs vision.

chalazion

A firm bump on the eyelid from a blocked oil gland.

cochlear implant

An electronic device implanted behind the ear to restore some hearing.

conjunctivitis

Inflammation of the conjunctiva; pink eye.

dacryoadenitis

Inflammation of the tear (lacrimal) gland.

diplopia

Double vision — seeing two images of one object.

ectropion

An eyelid edge that turns outward.

emmetropia

Normal vision with no refractive error.

entropion

An eyelid edge that turns inward.

esotropia

An eye that turns inward (toward the nose).

exotropia

An eye that turns outward.

fluorescein angiography

A glowing-dye test that photographs blood flow in the retina.

glaucoma

Increased eye pressure that damages the optic nerve.

hemianopia

Blindness in one half of the visual field.

hordeolum

A stye — an infected gland at the eyelid edge.

hyperopia

Farsightedness; light focuses behind the retina.

infectious myringitis

Inflammation/infection of the eardrum.

iritis

Inflammation of the iris.

keratitis

Inflammation of the cornea.

labyrinthectomy

Surgical removal of the inner-ear labyrinth.

laser iridotomy

A laser incision in the iris to treat closed-angle glaucoma.

laser trabeculoplasty

Laser treatment that reopens the eye’s drain to lower pressure.

mastoidectomy

Surgical removal of mastoid bone cells behind the ear.

mydriasis

Dilation (widening) of the pupil.

myopia

Nearsightedness; light focuses in front of the retina.

myringotomy

An incision in the eardrum to drain fluid or place tubes.

nyctalopia

Night blindness.

nystagmus

Involuntary, rhythmic back-and-forth movement of the eyeball.

ophthalmoscopy

Examining the back of the eye with an ophthalmoscope.

optometrist

A vision specialist who measures sight and prescribes corrective lenses.

otitis media

Inflammation of the middle ear.

otomycosis

A fungal infection of the ear canal.

otopyorrhea

A flow of pus from the ear.

otorrhea

Any discharge from the ear.

otosclerosis

Abnormal hardening/fusing of the middle-ear bones.

papilledema

Swelling of the optic disc, usually from brain pressure.

periorbital edema

Swelling around the eye(s).

photophobia

Excessive sensitivity to light.

pneumatic retinopexy

Injecting a gas bubble to reattach a detached retina.

presbycusis

Gradual hearing loss caused by aging.

presbyopia

Gradual loss of near focus caused by aging.

ptosis

Drooping of the upper eyelid (the “p” is silent).

radial keratotomy

Spoke-like corneal incisions that flatten it to correct nearsightedness.

scleritis

Inflammation of the sclera (white of the eye).

sensorineural hearing loss

Hearing loss from damage to the auditory nerve or inner-ear hair cells.

stapedectomy

Removing the stapes bone and inserting a tiny prosthesis.

strabismus

Misaligned eyes that point in different directions.

tarsorrhaphy

Suturing the eyelids partly shut to protect the eye.

tinnitus

Ringing, buzzing, or roaring in the ears.

tonometry

Measuring the pressure inside the eye.

tympanometry

An air-pressure test for middle-ear disorders.

vertigo

Spinning dizziness and loss of balance, often with nausea.

vitrectomy

Surgical removal of the vitreous gel from the eye.

xerophthalmia

Abnormal dryness of the eye.