Special Senses: Eyes and Ears

Vocabulary flashcards covering eye and ear pathologies, diagnostic procedures, surgical interventions, pharmacology, and clinical conditions from Chapter 13.

Retinal detachment

Separation of the retina from the choroid, which disrupts vision and results in blindness if not repaired.

Strabismus

Muscular eye disorder in which the eyes turn from the normal position so that they deviate in different directions.

Esotropia

Strabismus in which there is deviation of the visual axis of one eye toward that of the other eye, resulting in diplopia; also called cross-eye or convergent strabismus.

Exotropia

Strabismus in which there is deviation of the visual axis of one eye away from that of the other, resulting in diplopia; also called wall-eye or divergent strabismus.

Hearing loss

Loss of sense or perception of sound.

Anacusis

Total deafness (complete hearing loss).

Conductive hearing loss

Hearing loss that results from any condition that prevents sound waves from being transmitted to the auditory receptors.

Presbycusis

Hearing loss that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Inability of nerve stimuli to be delivered to the brain from the inner ear as a result of damage to the auditory (acoustic) nerve or cochlea; also called nerve deafness.

Ménière disease

Rare disorder characterized by progressive deafness, vertigo, and tinnitus, possibly secondary to swelling of membranous structures within the labyrinth; also called endolymphatic/labyrinthine hydrops.

Otitis media (OM)

Inflammation of the middle ear, which is commonly the result of an upper respiratory infection (URI) and may be treated with tympanostomy tube insertion.

Otosclerosis

Progressive deafness secondary to ossification in the bony labyrinth of the inner ear.

Tinnitus

Ringing or tinkling noise heard constantly or intermittently in one or both ears, even in a quiet environment, that usually results from damage to inner ear structures associated with hearing.

Vertigo

Sensation of moving around in space or a feeling of spinning or dizziness that usually results from inner ear structure damage associated with balance and equilibrium.

Tonometry

Test to measure the pressure inside the eyes (intraocular pressure); used to screen for glaucoma.

Visual acuity test

Standard eye examination to determine the smallest letters a person can read on a Snellen chart, or E chart, at a distance of $20\text{ feet}$.

Audiometry

Test that measures hearing acuity at various sound frequencies.

Otoscopy

Visual examination of the external auditory canal and the tympanic membrane by using an otoscope.

Tuning fork test

Hearing tests that use a tuning fork struck and placed against or near the bones on the side of the head to assess nerve and bone conduction of sound.

Rinne test

Tuning fork test that evaluates bone conduction of sound in one ear at a time; also called air and bone conduction hearing test.

Weber test

Tuning fork test that evaluates bone conduction of sound in both ears at the same time; also called conductive and sensorineural hearing loss test.

Cataract surgery

Excision of a lens affected by a cataract.

Phacoemulsification

Excision of the lens by ultrasonic vibrations that break the lens into tiny particles, which are suctioned out of the eye; also called small incision cataract surgery (SICS).

Iridectomy

Excision of a portion of the iris used to relieve intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma.

Laser iridotomy

Laser surgery that creates an opening on the rim of the iris to allow aqueous humor to flow between the anterior and posterior chambers to relieve intraocular pressure that occurs as a result of glaucoma.

Laser photocoagulation

Use of a laser beam to seal leaking or hemorrhaging retinal blood vessels to treat diabetic retinopathy.

Antiglaucoma agents

Medications that reduce intraocular pressure by decreasing the amount of aqueous humor in the eyeball either by reducing its production or by increasing its outflow.

Miotics

Agents that cause the pupil to constrict, permitting aqueous humor to escape from the eye and relieving intraocular pressure.

Mydriatics

Agents that cause the pupil to dilate and prepare the eye for an internal examination.

Vertigo and motion sickness agents

Medications that decrease sensitivity of the inner ear to motion and prevent nerve impulses from the inner ear from reaching the vomiting center of the brain.

Wax emulsifiers

Agents that loosen and help remove impacted cerumen (ear wax).

Glaucoma

Condition in which aqueous humor fails to drain properly and accumulates in the anterior chamber of the eye, causing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) that leads to degeneration and atrophy of the retina and optic nerve.

Open-angle glaucoma

The most common form of glaucoma; results from degenerative changes that cause congestion and reduce flow of aqueous humor through the canal of Schlemm, leading to painless destruction of peripheral vision (tunnel vision).

Closed-angle glaucoma

A medical emergency caused by an anatomically narrow angle between the iris and cornea that prevents outflow of aqueous humor, resulting in sudden elevated IOP, severe pain, blurred vision, and photophobia.

Tympanostomy tubes

Plastic cylinders surgically inserted into the eardrum to drain fluid and equalize pressure between the middle and outer ear (also known as ear tubes or PE tubes); typically remain in place for $6\text{ to }12\text{ months}$.

Tympanostomy (myringotomy)

A small opening surgically made in the eardrum followed by tube insertion to decrease pressure and reduce pain.