Chapter 11 - Special Senses: The Eyes And Ears

blephar/o eyelid -cusis hearing irid/o iris, colored part of eye kerat/o horny, hard, cornea myring/o tympanic membrane, eardrum ophthalm/o eye, vision -opia vision condition opt/o eye, vision ot/o ear, hearing phak/o lens of eye presby/o old age retin/o retina, net scler/o sclera, white of eye, hard trop/o turn, change tympan/o tympanic membrane, eardrum adnexa appendages or accessory structures of an organ amblyopia ambly = dim or dull; -opia = vision condition a dimness of vision or the partial loss of sight, especially in one eye, without detectable disease of the eye ametropia ametr = out of proportion; -opia = vision condition any error of refraction in which images do not focus properly on the retina anisocoria anis/o = unequal; cor = pupil; -ia = abnormal condition a condition in which the pupils are unequal in size; can be congenital or caused by a head injury, aneurysm, or pathology of central nervous system astigmatism a condition in which the eye does not focus properly because of uneven curvatures of the cornea barotrauma bar/o = pressure; -trauma = injury is pressure-related ear discomfort that can be caused by pressure changes when flying, driving in mountains, scuba diving, or when the eustachian tube is blocked blepharoptosis (ptosis) blephar/o = eyelid; -ptosis = drooping or sagging is drooping of the upper eyelid that is usually due to paralysis cataract the loss of transparency of the lens that causes a progressive loss of visual clarity chalazion (internal stye) a localized swelling inside the eyelid resulting from obstruction of a sebaceous gland; compare with a hordeolum cochlear implant is an implanted electronic device that can give a deaf person a useful auditory understanding of the environment and/or hearing and help them to understand speech conjunctivitis (pinkeye) an inflammation of the conjunctiva that is usually caused by an infection or allergy dacryoadenitis dacry/o = tear; aden = gland; -itis = inflammation an inflammation of the lacrimal gland that can be caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection diplopia (double vision) dipl = double; opia = vision condition the perception of two images of a single object ectropion ec- = out; trop = turn; -ion = condition the eversion of the edge of an eyelid; eversion means turning outward emmetropia emmetr = in proper measure; -opia = vision condition the normal relationship between the refractive power of the eye and the shape of the eye that enables light rays to focus correctly on the retina entropion en- = in; trop = turn; -ion = condition the inversion of the edge of an eyelid; inversion means turning inward esotropia (cross-eyes) eso- = inward; trop = turn; -ia = abnormal condition is strabismus characterized by an inward deviation of one or both eyes; esotropia is the opposite of exotropia eustachitis (salpingitis) is inflammation of the eustachian tube exotropia (walleye) exo- = outward; trop = turn; -ia = abnormal condition is strabismus characterized by the outward deviation of one eye relative to the other; exotropia is the opposite of esotropia fluorescein angiography a radiographic study of the blood vessels in the retina of the eye following the intravenous injection of a fluorescein dye as a contrast medium glaucoma a group of diseases characterized by increased intraocular pressure that cause damage to the retinal nerve fibers and the optic nerve hemianopia hemi- = half; an- = without; -opia = vision is blindness in one-half of the visual field hordeolum (stye) a pus-filled lesion on the eyelid resulting from an infection in a sebaceous gland; compare with a chalazion hyperopia (farsightedness) a defect in which light rays focus beyond the retina; hyperopia is the opposite of myopia infectious myringitis a contagious inflammation that causes painful blisters on the eardrum; condition is associated with a middle ear infection iridectomy irid = iris; -ectomy = surgical removal the surgical removal of a portion of the tissue of the iris iritis (anterior uveitis) an inflammation of the uveal tract affecting primarily structures in the front of the eye keratitis an inflammation of the cornea; condition can be due to many causes including bacterial, viral, or fungal infections labyrinthectomy the surgical removal of all or a portion of the labyrinth; procedure is performed to relieve uncontrolled vertigo laser trabeculoplasty is used to treat open-angle glaucoma by creating openings in the trabecular meshwork to allow fluid to drain properly mastoidectomy the surgical removal of mastoid cells; procedure used to treat a mastoiditis that can't be controlled with antibiotics myopia (nearsightedness) is a defect in which light rays focus in front of the retina; occurs mostly around puberty; myopia is the opposite of hyperopia myringotomy the surgical incision in the eardrum to create an opening for the placement of tympanostomy tubes nyctalopia (night blindness) a condition in which an individual with normal daytime vision has difficulty seeing at night nystagmus is an involuntary, constant, rhythmic movement of the eyeball that can be congenital or caused by a neurological injury or drug use ophthalmoscopy (funduscopy) the visual examination of the fundus (back part) of the eye with an ophthalmoscope optometrist holds a Doctor of Optometry degree & specializes in measuring the accuracy of vision to determine whether corrective lenses are needed otitis media an inflammation of the middle ear otomycosis (swimmer's ear) a fungal infection of the external auditory canal otopyorrhea the flow of pus from the ear otorrhagia is bleeding from the ear otosclerosis the ankylosis of the bones of the middle ear, resulting in a conductive hearing loss; ankylosis means fused together papilledema (choked disk) swelling & inflammation of the optic nerve at the point of entrance into the eye through the optic disc periorbital edema swelling surrounding the eye or eyes presbycusis a gradual loss of sensorineural hearing that occurs as the body ages presbyopia the condition of common changes in the eyes that occur with aging pterygium a benign growth on the cornea that can become large enough to distort vision radial keratotomy a surgical procedure to treat myopia retinopexy is used to reattach the detached area in a retinal detachment scleritis an inflammation of the sclera; condition usually associated with infections, chemical injuries, or autoimmune diseases stapedectomy the surgical removal of the top portion of the stapes bone & insertion of a small prosthetic device known as a piston that conducts sound vibrations to the inner ear strabismus a disorder in which the eyes point in different directions or are not aligned correctly because the eye muscles are unable to focus together tarsorrhaphy the partial or complete suturing together of the upper and lower eyelids tinnitus a ringing, buzzing, or roaring sound in one or both ears; often associated w/ hearing loss & likely to occur w/ prolonged exposure to loud noises tonometry the measurement of intraocular pressure; abnormally high pressure can be an indication of glaucoma tympanometry the use of air pressure in the ear canal to test for disorders of the middle ear tympanostomy tubes (pediatric ear tubes) tiny ventilating tubes placed through the eardrum to provide ongoing drainage for fluids & to relieve pressure that can build up after childhood ear infections vertigo a sense of whirling, dizziness, & the loss of balance, that is often combined w/ nausea & vomiting vitrectomy the removal of the vitreous fluid and its replacement with a clear solution xerophthalmia (dry eye) is drying of eye surfaces including the conjunctiva