Chapter 17 Symptoms/pathology For Ears

Front 1

acoustic neuroma

Back 1

Benign tumor arising from the acoustic vestibulocochlear nerve (eight cranial nerve) in the brain. This tumor causes tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo (dizziness), and decreased hearing.

Front 2

cholesteatoma

Back 2

Collection of skin cells and cholesterol in a sac within the middle ear. These cyst-like masses produce a foul-smelling discharge and are most often the result of chronic otitis media. They are associated with performations of the tympanic membrane.

Front 3

deafness

Back 3

Loss of the ability to hear. Nerve deafness (sensorineural hearing loss) results from impairment of the cochlea or auditory (acoustic) nerve. Conductive deafness results from impairment of the middel ear ossicles and membranes transmitting sounds waves into the cochlea. Hearing aids help people with conductive or sensorineural hearing loss.

Front 4

Meniere disease

Back 4

Disorder of the labyrinth of the inner ear; elevated endolymph pressure within the cochlea (cochlear hydrops) and semicircular canals (vestibular hydrops). Signs and symptoms are tinnitus, heightening sensitivity to loud sounds, progressive loss of hearing, heaadache, nausea, and vertigo. Treatment is bed rest, sedation, and drugs to combat nausea and vertigo. Surgery may be necessary to relieve accumulation of fluid from the inner ear.

Front 5

otitis media

Back 5

Inflammation of the middle ear. This is an infection of the middle ear, often following an upper respiratory infection (URI). Pain and fever with redness and loss of modibility of the tympanic membrane occur. As bacteria invade the middle ear, pus formation occurs (suppurative otitis media). It is treated with antibiotics, but if the condition becomes chronic, myringotomy may be required to ventilate the middle ear. Serous otitis media is a noninfectious inflammation with accumulation of serous fluid. It often results from a dysfunctional or obstructed auditory tube,. Treatment includes myringotomy to aspirate fluid and tympanostomy tubes placed in the eardum to allow ventilation of the middel ear.

Front 6

otosclerosis

Back 6

Hardening of the bony tissue of the middel ear. This hereditary condition is that bone forms around the oval window and caused fixation or ankylosis (stiffening) of the stapes bone (ossicle).Conducton deafness occurs, as te oscilles cannot pass on vibration when sound enters the ear. Stapedectomy with replacement by a prosthesis (artificial part) is effective in restoring hearing. In order to perform this operation, the oval window must be fenestrated (opened) using a laser.

Front 7

tinnitus

Back 7

Sensation of noises (ringing, buzzing, whistling, booming) in the ears. Caused by irritation of delicate hair cells in the inner ear, this disease symptom may be associated with presbycusis, Meniere disease, otosclerosis, chronic otitis, labyrinthitis, and other disorders. This can interfere with a patient's daily life. Treatment includes biofeedback to help the patient relax and exert control over stress and anxiety if these are contributing factors.

Front 8

vertigo

Back 8

Sensation of irregular or whirling motion either of oneself or of external objects. This can result from disease in the labyrinth of the inner ear or in the nerve that carries messages from the semicircular canals to the brain. Eqilibrium and balance are affected, and nauses may occur as well.