Medical Interventions 1.3-1.4

Hailee Oppmann - Hearing Loss Types, Tests, and Vaccination Methods

What condition did Sue Smith suffer from that resulted in hearing loss?

Meningitis

How many types of hearing loss are there?

Three types: sensorineural, conductive, and mixed hearing loss.

What is sensorineural hearing loss caused by?

Damage to the cochlea or the auditory nerve.

What can cause conductive hearing loss?

Damage to the outer ear, auditory canal, tympanic membrane, or ossicles.

What is a common treatment for hearing loss?

Hearing aids and cochlear implants.

What role does the pinna play in hearing?

It collects sound waves.

What is the function of the tympanic membrane?

It vibrates in response to sound waves.

What are the ossicles?

Three small bones in the ear that transmit sound vibrations.

What does amplitude refer to in sound?

The height of sound waves, perceived as loudness.

What does frequency refer to in sound?

The number of sound waves that cross a point in a given time, perceived as pitch.

How is sound transmitted from the outer ear to the cochlea?

Sound travels through the auditory canal, vibrates the tympanic membrane, and moves the ossicles.

What is the cochlea's role in hearing?

It converts mechanical waves into signals sent to the auditory nerve.

What is the vestibule's function in the ear?

It helps maintain balance.

What does the eustachian tube do?

It maintains pressure between the inside and outside of the ear.

What is the Rinne test used for?

To determine the difference between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

What happens during the Rinne test?

A tuning fork is placed on the mastoid process and then in front of the ear to compare bone and air conduction.

What is mixed hearing loss?

A combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

What can prolonged exposure to loud sounds cause?

Permanent hearing loss.

What is the significance of decibels in sound?

measure the intensity or loudness of sound.

What is a cochlear implant?

A device surgically inserted to stimulate the auditory nerve in cases of sensorineural hearing loss.

Why is the cochlear implant controversial?

It is seen as an infringement on the lifestyle of the deaf community.

What is the impact of hearing loss on communication?

It can drastically affect a person's ability to communicate.

What are the three main components of sound?

Intensity (loudness), frequency, and amplitude.

What is pitch in relation to sound?

The perception of frequency; higher frequencies produce higher pitches.

How does the ear contribute to balance?

The vestibule and semicircular canals sense body position and movement.

What does the auditory nerve do?

It transmits signals from the cochlea to the brain for sound interpretation.

What is conductive hearing loss?

A type of hearing loss where bone conduction is heard longer or as long as air conduction.

How can sensorineural hearing loss be assessed?

Through a speech in noise test that measures the ability to detect speech against background noise.

What is an audiogram?

A graph that records hearing thresholds at different frequencies, used to detect both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

What does a pure tone test involve?

Using an audiometer to play a series of beeps or tones at distinct frequencies to measure hearing sensitivity.

How are thresholds represented on an audiogram?

With frequencies on the x-axis and hearing thresholds in decibels on the y-axis.

What do red circles and blue Xs represent on an audiogram?

Red circles represent thresholds for the right ear, and blue Xs represent thresholds for the left ear.

What are the ranges for normal hearing in decibels?

0-20 dB.

What is the decibel range for mild hearing loss?

21-40 dB.

What is the decibel range for moderate hearing loss?

41-55 dB.

What is the decibel range for moderately severe hearing loss?

56-70 dB.

What is the decibel range for severe hearing loss?

71-90 dB.

What is the decibel range for profound hearing loss?

90 dB.

What is the purpose of vaccination?

To convince the body it has already had an infection, activating the immune response to prevent future illness.

What is a vaccination?

An injection of dead, weakened, or modified pathogens to activate the immune system.

What role do memory cells play in vaccination?

They remain long after the infection is cleared and can rapidly produce antibodies upon re-exposure to the pathogen.

What is a similar-pathogen vaccine?

A vaccine made from a virus similar to the one being protected against, such as cowpox for smallpox.

What is an attenuated virus vaccine?

A live vaccine where the virus is weakened, such as the measles vaccine adapted to grow in cold environments.

What is a killed vaccine?

A vaccine where the virus is killed and injected, such as the polio vaccine, often requiring boosters.

What is a toxoid vaccine?

A vaccine that exposes the body to neutralized toxins produced by pathogens, such as the tetanus vaccine.

What is neutralization in the context of vaccination?

can involve chemicals like formaldehyde or aluminum salts to prepare a vaccine.

What is a subunit vaccine?

consists of a specific 'chunk' of a pathogen, like a portion of a virus, used for vaccination.

What is a Naked-DNA vaccine?

uses a single gene that produces a protein, which is amplified and injected into a human.

How does recombinant DNA technology create vaccinations?

It modifies DNA by adding or removing genes, placing this DNA into an organism to replicate it.

What is the first step in recombinant DNA technology?

Selection of a gene of interest, which is then isolated from its organism.

What role do restriction enzymes play in recombinant DNA technology?

They cut out specific sections of DNA for further manipulation.

What is ligation in the context of DNA manipulation?

is the process of sealing a gene into a DNA strand, making it a permanent part of that DNA.

What is a plasmid?

is a circular, double-stranded DNA that is often used in recombinant DNA technology.

How is plasmid DNA introduced into bacteria?

Using chemical or electrical shock to make the bacteria porous, followed by heat shock to seal the bacteria.

What is the role of epidemiologists?

study disease patterns, monitor public health, and assist in outbreak investigations.

Why is overprescribing antibiotics a concern?

can lead to antibiotic resistance, making infections harder to treat.

What is antibiotic resistance?

occurs when bacteria evolve to survive despite the presence of antibiotics.

How can bacteria share antibiotic resistance genes?

Through processes like conjugation, transformation, and transduction.

What is conjugation in bacteria?

is a process where two bacteria link their pili to exchange plasmids, including those with antibiotic resistance.

What is transformation in bacteria?

is when bacteria scavenge plasmids from dead bacterial cells.

What is transduction in bacteria?

is when a vector delivers antibiotic resistance genes to bacteria.

What is the impact of antibiotic resistance on treatment?

It complicates treatment, as infections may not respond predictably to antibiotics.

Why are antibiotics added to livestock feed?

To prevent animals from getting sick before sale, but this can contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans.

What is the concern with antibiotic use in livestock?

It can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that may affect human health.

What happens when a bacterium develops a mutation for antibiotic resistance?

The resistant bacterium can grow and divide, leading to an infection with more resistant bacteria.

What is the significance of genetic variability in bacterial populations?

It affects the presence and number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a population.

What are the potential future problems with antibiotic overuse?

It may lead to extremely concerning issues with antibiotic-resistant infections.