CMA: EENT

Ophthalmologist

treats eye diseases and conditions

Otorhinolaryngologist

treats ear, nose, and throat diseases and conditions

Otolaryngologist

treats ear and throat diseases and disorders

Laryngologist

treats throat diseases and disorders

Rhinologist

treats nose diseases and disorders

Otologist

treats ear diseases and disorders

Optometrist

specialist examines eyes, tests visual acuity, and prescribes adaptive lenses and contact lenses

Optician

specialist grinds lenses, inserts lenses into frames, and fits eyeglasses

sclera

tough white fibrous tissue covering eye exterior

choroid

middle layer with blood vessels, lymphatics, and intrinsic eye muscles

retina

inner layer with rods and cones

rods

responsible for black and white vision & vision in dim light

cones

responsible for color and daytime vision

iris

colored part that regulates amount of light into eye

pupil

black spot that dilates or constricts amount of light into eye

lens

in back of anterior chamber of eyeball and focuses the image

ciliary body

changes shape of lens and how light is refracted to retina

suspensory ligaments

connects ciliary body to lens

optic nerve

back of eyeball and transmits image to brain

fovea

area in back of eye for sharp vision

optic disc

blind spot with no receptors so optic nerve enters eye

blood vessels in eye

brings O2 and nutrients to eye and take away wastes

Physiology of Eye

• light refracts after entering sclera, passes thru pupils

• choroid keeps light from scattering

• rods and cones receive light refraction image

  • optic nerve sends signal through thalamus to vision region of cerebral cortex

Intrinsic Muscles

control shape of lens, resulting in focusing image

Extrinsic Muscles

control movement of eye

Conjunctivitis

• pinkeye

• symptoms: swelling of eye and surrounding area, itching, burning, discharge, redness of membranes lining eyes

• cause: bacterial or viral infection, allergies, irritating substances, contact lens products, etc.

• highly contagious

• requires antibiotic eye drops or ointment

Diabetic Retinopathy

• common diabetic eye disease

• leading cause of blindness of adults

• cause: change in blood vessels of retina

• vessels swell and leak fluid

• treatment: control blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol

Glaucoma

• damages optic nerve

• leading cause of blindness

• when fluid pressure in eyes slowly increases, damaging optic nerve

• early treatment includes medicated eye drops and/or surgery

Stye

• hordeolum

• local, acutely inflamed growth of eyelid

• eyelid swells

• chalazion: chronic stye

• cause: dry skin problems, acne, poor lid hygiene, incomplete removal of eye makeup, infected cosmetics, stress, hormonal

• symptoms: pain, redness, discharge, tenderness, tearing, blurred vision, scratchy feeling, droopy eyelid, crusting

• treatment: surgical incision and drainage, steroid injection, antibiotic ointments or drops, oral antibiotics, treatment of cause

Cataract

• clouding of lens of eye

• in older people

• symptoms: blurry vision, faded colors, glare, poor nighttime vision, double vision, frequent changes to eyeglasses prescriptions

• slow development

• surgery is good option; cloudy lens replaced with artificial lens

Retinal Detachment

• retina is lifted or pulled from normal position

• no immediate treatment —> permanent vision loss

• also caused by slight torn that causes detachment

• more common in women over 40

• symptoms: sudden or gradual increase in specks that float around field of vision or light flashes in the eye; also appearance of curtain over field of vision

• medical emergency

• treatment: laser surgery or freeze method (cryopexy), done in doctor’s office

Macular Degeneration

• destroys sharp, central vision

• affects macula (part that allows fine detail)

• advances slowly so no immediate noticeable changes

• treatment can slow vision loss but not restore

• treatment: laser surgery

Ophthalmoscope

examines retina and internal of eye

Ophthalmoscopy

part of eye exam to determine health of retina, vitreous humor, and other internal structures

Eye spud

removes foreign particle

Tonometer

measures intraocular pressure

Auricle

(Pinna) visible part of ear outside head

Earlobe

made of adipose tissue with large blood supply and nerve endings

Auditory canal

tube running from outer to middle ear at eardrum

osscicles

tiny bones in middle ear (malleus, incus, and stapes); transmit sounds from air to fluid-filled cochlea

eardrum

tympanic membrane; separates outer from middle ear, helps transmit sound from air to ossicles in middle ear

tympanic cavity

small cavity surrounding bones in middle ear; fluid accumulates here because of infection or other reasons, so it must be drained by puncturing membrane with small needle

temporal bone

part of skull that houses ear structures

vestibular nerve

through semicircular canals and receives positional information

semicircular ducts

set of 3 small membranous tubes of vestibular labyrinth; located within bony semicircular canals of bony labyrinths, forming loops of two thirds of a circle; three ducts lie in planes at right angles to each other and connect with vestibular nerve

cochlear nerve

auditory or acoustic nerve; carries signals from cochlea of inner ear to brain; brain interprets signals as sound

auditory tube

Eustachian tube; runs from middle ear to pharynx, designed to protect, aerate, and drain middle ear; can become inflamed and infected if blocked

Physiology of Ear

• sound waves move through ear

• waves enter at auditory canal at auricle, vibrate tympanic membrane, move tiny ossicles in middle ear, pass through oval window, and move into inner ear (labyrinth) to cochlea

• waves move fluid in cochlea that causes auditory receptors in organ of Corti

• tiny hairs relay signal to auditory nerve fibers, sending to auditory center of cerebral cortex as sound

Otitis Externa

• swimmer’s ear

• inflammation of outer ear and ear canal

• condition: earache

• can be related to dermatitis or microbial infection

Otitis Media

• inflammation of middle ear

• middle ear infection

• occurs around tympanic membrane and inner ear and Eustatchian tube

• heals on its own, but painful

Ruptured Tympanic Membrane

• ruptured eardrum

• functional cause: opening or hole in thin layer of eardrum tissue that separates outer and middle ear

• cause: by infection of pus or fluid build up behind eardrum, so when pressure increases, it can rupture; also by very loud noise (acoustic trauma), sudden pressure change, foreign objects, or other injury to ear

Instruments in Otic Examinations

• otoscope

• vienna speculum

• zeiss microscope

• audiometer

Anatomy of Upper Resp

• nasal cavity

• hard palate

• soft palate

• tonsil

• tongue

• mandible

• hyoid bone

• thyroid cartilage

• cricoid cartilage

• thyroid gland

• epiglottis

• vocal cords

• esophagus

• nasopharynx

• oropharynx

• laryngopharynx

Sinusitis

• inflammation of sinuses

• cause: viral, bacterial, or fungal infection

• symptoms: bad breath, loss of smell, cough worsens at night, fatigue, malaise, fever, headache, facial tenderness, nasal congestion and discharge, sore throat, and postnasal drip

• treatments reduce congestion and treat the cause

• antibiotics not needed

• most infections cure without treatment

Epistaxis

• nosebleed due to blood loss from nose tissue lining

• typically one nostril only

• causes: allergic rhinitis, object in the nose, barotraumas, blowing nose too hard, chemical irritants, direct injury, picking nose, overuse of decongestant nasal sprays, surgery, infection, and cold and dry air

• treatments: manual squeezing of soft portion of nose

• nasal decongestion can be used to close off small vessels

• physician intervention if it does not stop

Rhinitis

• irritation and inflammation of mucous membranes lining nose

• symptoms: stuffy nose, runny nose, post-nasal drip

• common form is allergic rhinitis, caused by allergens in air

• also caused by bacteria and viruses

Laryngitis

• inflammation of larynx

• symptom: raspy voice or lose voice altogether

• cause: cold or flu, acid reflux, overuse of voice, or allergies

• could be a sign of cancer, polyps, or damage

• treat the cause of the illness

Tonsillitis

• inflammation and swelling of palatine tonsils

• symptoms: difficulty swallowing, ear pain, fever and chills, headache, sore throat, tenderness, and loss of voice

• tonsils filter and collect pathogens when person has an infection, causing inflammation and swelling of tonsils

• treatment involves antibiotics

Instruments in Resp Examinations

• tongue depressor and light source

• laryngeal mirror

• nasal speculum

• laryngoscope

• otoscope

medications for upper resp disorders

• lozenges

• gargles

• throat sprays

• antibiotics