APEA 3P Exam Study Guide - Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, diagnostic tests, pathologies, and pharmacological interventions from the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat section of the APEA 3P Exam Study Guide.

Weber test

A tuning fork test placed on the midline of the skull where normal sound is heard equally, conductive hearing loss lateralizes to the affected ear, and sensorineural hearing loss lateralizes to the better ear.

Rinne test

A tuning fork test comparing air and bone conduction (mastoid then beside ear); normal is air conduction longer than bone, conductive loss is bone conduction equal or longer than air, and sensorineural loss is air longer than bone with both reduced.

Legal blindness

Visual acuity of 20/200 or worse with correction as assessed on a Snellen chart.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness caused by a short eyeball where light focuses behind the retina, resulting in blurred near vision and eye strain; treated with convex (plus) lenses.

Myopia

Nearsightedness caused by a long eyeball where light focuses in front of the retina; treated with concave (minus) lenses.

Presbyopia

Age-related vision change occurring after age 40 caused by a stiff lens, resulting in blurred near vision and eye strain.

Cataract

Clumping and opacification of lens proteins caused by aging, UV light, diabetes, smoking, or long-term corticosteroids; presents with painless gradual blurring, glare and halos at night, and a dull or absent red reflex.

Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Retinal capillary damage from hyperglycemia characterized by microaneurysms, dot-blot hemorrhages, hard exudates, and cotton wool spots.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Advanced diabetic retinopathy resulting from retinal ischemia and VEGF release, characterized by neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage.

Papilledema

Optic disc swelling resulting from elevated intracranial pressure; assessment shows blurred disc margins, lost cup, absent venous pulsations, and headache.

Pterygium

Triangular fibrovascular conjunctival growth onto the cornea caused by exposure to UV light, wind, and dust, appearing as a wedge growing from the nasal side toward the pupil.

Pinguecula

A yellow conjunctival growth that stays off the cornea.

Allergic rhinitis

IgE-mediated type I mast cell histamine release characterized by pale boggy turbinates, clear discharge, allergic shiners, nasal crease, and cobblestone pharynx.

Oxymetazoline

A topical decongestant spray that must not be used for more than 3 days to prevent rebound congestion.

Acute bacterial sinusitis

Sinus infection commonly caused by Strep pneumoniae, H. influenzae, or Moraxella; suspected when symptoms last over 10 days, present with severe high fever for 3 to 4 days, or worsen after initial improvement.

Presbycusis

Bilateral, high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss associated with aging.

Ototoxicity

Drug-induced damage to cochlear or vestibular hair cells causing tinnitus, high-frequency hearing loss, and imbalance; common culprits include aminoglycosides (gentamicin), loop diuretics, cisplatin, vancomycin, high-dose aspirin, and quinine.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Peripheral vertigo caused by loose otoconia in a semicircular canal, presenting with seconds-long spells triggered by head movement and positive Dix-Hallpike test showing delayed, fatiguing nystagmus.

Meniere disease

Peripheral vestibular condition presenting with classic symptoms of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and ear fullness; managed with salt restriction and diuretics.