Sensory System Disorders: Vision and Hearing

Vocabulary flashcards covering visual and auditory disorders, including refractive errors, glaucoma, cataracts, hearing loss types, and ear infections based on lecture notes.

Myopia

Nearsightedness that can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Presbyopia

Farsightedness associated with aging that is caused by a loss of elasticity in the lens, requiring reading glasses.

Astigmatism

An irregular curvature in the lens of the eye.

Nystagmus

An involuntary movement of the eye (usually side to side) caused by neurologic issues, inner ear or cerebellar disturbances, or drug toxicity.

Staph aureus

The bacteria responsible for highly contagious pink eye (conjunctivitis).

Glaucoma

Increased ocular pressure caused by an excessive accumulation of aqueous humor.

Open-angle glaucoma

A chronic eye condition where peripheral vision is affected first, slowly leading to irreversible damage to the retina and optic nerve.

Narrow-angle glaucoma

A severe emergency occurring when pupil dilation blocks drainage, causing a rapid rise in intraocular pressure within about one hour.

Cataracts

A condition where the eye lens becomes cloudy, interfering with light transmission and blurring vision over time.

Detached retina

A painless separation of the retina from the choroid that causes light or dark floating spots followed by a dark curtain across the visual field.

Dry macular degeneration

The most common form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) where deposits form in retinal cells and destroy them, blurring central vision.

Wet macular degeneration

A form of age-related macular degeneration where neovascularization leads to abnormal, leaky blood vessels that destroy the retina.

Conduction hearing loss

Hearing loss occurring when sound is blocked in the external or middle ear by earwax, foreign objects, scar tissue, or adhesions.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Hearing impairment caused by damage to the organ of Corti or the auditory nerve (cranial nerve VIII).

Presbycusis

A type of sensorineural hearing loss occurring in elderly individuals due to a reduced number of hair cells or receptor cells.

Tinnitus

A persistent ringing or buzzing noise in the ears.

Otitis media

Inflammation or infection of the middle ear cavity that presents with a red and bulging tympanic membrane.

Otitis externa

Also known as swimmer's ear; an infection of the external auditory canal and pinna where pain worsens with movement of the pinna.

Otosclerosis

An ear disorder involving an imbalance of bone formation and resorption that causes the stapes to become fixed to the oval window.

Meniere's syndrome

An inner ear or labyrinth disorder in adults aged 35 to 50 characterized by severe vertigo, tinnitus, unilateral hearing loss, and a feeling of ear pressure.