ear med term

ear

organ of hearing and balance; includes the external ear, middle ear, and labyrinth or inner ear

external ear

consists of the auricle and external auditory canal (meatus)

auricle

external, visible part of the ear located on both sides of the head; directs sound waves into the external auditory canal (also called pinna)

external auditory canal

short tube that ends at the tympanic membrane. the inner part lies within the temporal bone of the skull and contains the glands that secrete earwax (cerumen) (also called external auditory meatus)

middle ear

consists of the tympanic membrane and the tympanic cavity containing the ossicles

tympanic membrane

semitransparent membrane that separates the external auditory canal and the middle ear cavity. the tympanic membrane transmits sound vibrations to the ossicles (also called eardrum)

ossicles

bones of the middle ear that carry sound vibrations. the ossicles are composed of the malleus (hammer) incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). the stapes connects to the oval window, which transmits sound vibrations to the cochlea of the inner ear

eustachian tube

passageway between the middle ear and the pharynx; equalizes air pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane

inner ear

consists of both the labyrinth and connectors of the vestibular and cochlear nerve

cochlea

coiled portion of the inner ear consisting of the sensory organ for hearing; connects to the oval window in the middle ear

semicircular canals and vestibule

sensory organs of balance; contains receptors and endolymph that provide sensory information about the body’s position to maintain equilibrium

vestibulcochlear nerves

paired cranial nerves responsible for hearing and balance; composed of vestibular fibers and cochlear fibers (also called acoustic nerve or auditory nerve)

vestibular nerve

conveys information about position and balance from the semicircular canals and vestibule to the brain

cochlear nerve

conveys information about sound, including volume and frequency, from the cochlea to the brain

mastoid bone

portion of the temporal bone of the skull posterior and inferior to each auditory canal; contains mastoid air cells that drain into the middle ear cavity behind the external auditory canal (also called mastoid process)

audi/o

hearing

aur/i; ot/o

ear

cochle/o

cochlea

labyrinth/o

labyrinth

mastoid/o

mastoid bone

myring/o

tympanic membrane (ear drum)

staped/o

stapes

tympan/o

middle ear

vestibul/o

vestibule

electr/o

electricity, electrical activity

myc/o

fungus

py/o

pus

-algia

pain

labyrinthitis

inflammation of the labyrinth

mastoiditis

inflammation of the mastoid bone

myringitis

inflammation of the tympanic membrane

otalgia

pain in the ear

otomycosis

abnormal condition of fungus in the ear (usually affects the external auditory canal)

otopyorrhea

discharge of pus from the ear

otorrhea

discharge from the ear (may be serous, bloody, consisting of pus, or containing cerebrospinal fluid)

otosclerosis

hardening of the ear (stapes) caused by irregular bone development and resulting in hearing loss)

acoustic neuroma

benign tumor within the internal auditory canal growing from the acoustic nerve; may cause hearing loss and may damage structures of the cerebellum as it grows

cholesteatoma

cystlike mass composed of epithelial cells and cholesterol occuring in the middle ear; may be associated with chronic otitis media

meniere disease

chronic disease of the inner ear characterized by a sensation of spinning motion (vertigo), ringing in the ear (tinnitus), aural fullness, and fluctuating hearing loss; symptoms are related to a change in volume or composition of fluid within the labyrinth

otitis externa (OE)

inflammation of the outer ear

otitis media (OM)

inflammation of the middle ear

ototoxicity

adverse pharmacological reaction causing damage to the vestibulocochlear nerve; results in abnormalities of hearing and balance

presbycusis

hearing impairment occurring with age

tinnitus

ringing in the ears

vertigo

sense that either one’s own body (subjective vertigo) or the environment (objective vertigo) is revolving; may indicate inner ear disease

cochlear impant

pertaining to the cochlea implant (surgically inserted electric device that converts sound into electrical impulses. the impulses stimulate the auditory nerve to carry the signal to the brain which learns to interpret the signal as sound. the damaged part of the ear is bypassed)

labyrinthectomy

excision of the labyrinth

mastoidectomy

excision of the mastoid bone

mastoidotomy

incision into the mastoid bone

myringotplasty

surgical repair of the tympanic membrane

myringotomy

incision into the tympanic membrane (performed to relieve pressure in the middle ear by releasing pus or fluid and for the placement of tubes)

otoplasty

surgical repair of the (outer) ear

stapedectomy

excision of the stapes (performed to restore hearing in cases of otosclerosis; the stapes is replaced by a prosthesis)

tympanoplasty

surgical repair (of the hearing mechanism) of the middle ear (including the tympanic membrane and the ossicles)

tympanostomy

creation of an artificial opening into the middle ear

audiogram

(graphic) record of hearing

audiometer

instrument used to measure hearing

audiometry

measurement of hearing

electrocochleography

process of recording the electrical activity in the cochlea (in response to sound)

otoscope

instrument used for visual examination of the ear

otoscopy

visual examination of the ear

tympanometer

instrument used to measure middle ear (function)

typanometry

measurement of middle ear (function)

audiologist

one who studied and specializes in hearing

otolaryngologist (ENT)

physician who studies and treats diseases of the ear, (nose), and larynx (throat); (also called otorhinolaryngologist)

aural

pertaining to the ear

vestibulocochlear

pertaining to the vestibule and cochlea