Term | Definition |
vestibulae | A chamber that joins the cochlea and semicircular canals |
equilibrium | A state of balance, controlled by the semicircular canals and the vestibulae |
eustacian tube | A tube which connects the nose and the throat with the cavity of the middle ear. |
cerumen | A waxy secretion produced by the glands of the external ear canal to prevent the entrance of tiny foreign particles. |
refractive | Ability to bend light rays as they pass from one medium to another. |
epiphora | Abnormal overflow of tears |
glaucoma | Accumulation of aqueous humor in the eye. |
accommodation | Adjustment of the eye for various distances so that the images fall on the retina of the eye. |
cycloplegic agents | Agents which paralyze ciliary muscles, causing dilation of the pupils. |
ametropia | An error in refraction causing poor focus. |
retinopathy | Any disorder of the retinal blood vessels |
humor | Any fluid or semifluid in the body. |
conduction impairment | Blocking of sound waves as they pass through the external and middle ear. |
retinitis pigmentosa | Chronic progressive disease of degeneration of the retina and atrophy of of the optic nerve. |
trachoma | Chronic, contagious form of conjunctivitis common in the southwestern United States that typically leads to blindness. |
acuity | Clearness or sharpness of a sensory function. |
anacusis | Complete deafness |
noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) | Condition caused by the destruction of hair cells, the organs responsible for hearing, caused by sounds that are "too long, too loud, or too close". |
strabismus | Condition in which one eye is misaligned with the other or out of synchrony. |
ophthalmatic decongestants | Constrict the small arterioles of the eye, decreasing redness and relieving conjunctival congestion. |
otoplasty | Corrective surgery for a deformed or excessively large or small pinea |
blepharoplasty | Cosmetic surgery that removes fatty tissue above and below the eyes that commonly form as a result of the aging process or excessive exposure to the sun. |
dacryocystorhinostomy | Creation of an opening into the nose for draining of tears. |
antiglaucoma agents | Decrease aqueous humor production by constricting the pupil to open the angle between the iris and cornea |
astigmatism | Defective curvature of the cornea or lens. |
corectasis | Dilation of the pupil |
otopyorrhea | Discharge of pus from the ear |
Meniere disease | Disorder of the labyrinth that leads to progressive loss of hearing. |
mydriatics | Disrupt parasympathetic nerve supply to the eye or stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, causing the pupil to dilate. |
otalgia | Ear pain |
fluorescin angiography | Evaluation of blood vessels and their leakage in an beneath the retina after injection of fluorescin dye, which circulates while photographs of the vessels within the eye are obtained. |
tonometry | Evaluation of intraocular pressure by measuring the resistance of the eyeball to indentation by an applied force. |
retinoscopy | Evaluation of refractive errors of the eye by projecting a light into the eyes and determining the movement of reflected light rays. |
tuning fork test | Evaluation of sound conduction using a vibrating tuning fork |
ectropion | Eversion, or outward turning, of the edge of the lower eyelid |
gonioscopy | Examination of the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye to determine ocular motility and rotation and diagnose and manage glaucoma. |
iridectomy | Excision of the iris |
hyperopia | Farsightedness |
dacryorrhea | Flow of tears |
perilymph | Fluid that very closely resembles spinal fluid but found in the cochlea |
ear irrigation | Flushing of the ear canal with water or saline to dislodge foreign bodies or impacted cerumen |
cyclodialysis | Formation of an opening between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal space for the draining of aqueous humor in glaucoma |
otosclerosis | Hardening of the spongy bone around the oval window of the ear , causing hearing loss |
audition | Hearing |
nyctalopia | Impaired vision in dim light; also called night blindless |
presbyacusis | Impairment of hearing resulting from old age; also called presbyacusia |
radial keratotomy (RK) | Incision of the cornea for treatment of nearsightedness or astigmatism |
otitis externa | Infection of the external auditory canal |
conjunctivitis | Inflammation of the conunctiva with vascular congestion, producing a red or pink eye and may be secondary to allergy or viral, bacterial, or fungal infections |
eustachitis | Inflammation of the eustachian tube |
labyrinthitis | Inflammation of the inner ear that usually results from an acute febrile process. |
iritis | Inflammation of the iris |
otitis media | Inflammation of the middle ear. |
ophthalmic antibiotics | Inhibit growth of microorganisms that infect the eye. |
pressure-equalizing (PE) tube placement | Insertion of tubes through the tympanic membrane, commonly used to treat chronic otitis media; also called tympanostomy tubes or ventilation tubes. |
entropion | Inversion or inward turning of the edge of the lower eyelid |
tunic | Layer or coat of tissue; also called membrane layer |
amblyopia | Lazy eye syndrome |
photopigment | Light-sensitive pigment in the retinal cones and rods that absorbs light and initiates the visual process; also called visual pigment. |
hordeolum | Localized, circumscribed, inflammatory swelling of one of the several sebaceous glands of the eyelid, generally caused by a bacterial infection; also called stye |
wax emulsifiers | Loosen and help remove impacted cerumen. |
presbyopia | Loss of accommodation of the crystalline lens associated with the aging process |
anosmia | Inability to smell |
audiometry | Measurement of hearing acuity at various sound wave frequencies. |
ophthalmodynamometry | Measurement of the blood pressure of the retinal vessels. |
electronystagmography (ENG) | Method of assessing and recording eye movements by measuring the electrical activity of the extraocular muscles |
phacoemulsification | Method of treating cataracts by using ultrasonic waves to disintegrate a cloudy lens, which is then aspirated and removed. |
ciliary muscles | Muscles which relax or contract to alter the shape of the lens, making it thicker or thinner, thus enabling the light rays to focus upon the retina. |
mastoid process | One of the temporal bones which encloses the sinuses |
stapes | One of the three bones of the middle ear; shaped like a stirrup |
malleus | One of the three bones of the middle ear; shaped like a hammer |
incus | One of the three bones of the middle ear; shaped like an anvil |
semicircular canals | One of the three structures of the inner ear; responsible for balance. |
optometrist | One who specializes in eye measurements. |
cataracts | Opacities on the lends or the capsule that encloses the lens, causing loss of vision. |
extropia | Outward turning of the eye(s). |
ophthalmoplegia | Paralysis of the eye. |
visual acuity (VA) test | Part of an eye examination that determines the smallest letters that can be read on a standardized chart at a distance of 20 feet. |
tinnitus | Perception of ringing, hissing, or other sounds in the ears or head when no external sound is present |
lacrimal | Pertaining to a tear |
olfactory | Pertaining to smell |
cochlear implant insertion | Placement of an artificial hearing device that produces hearing sensations by electrically stimulating nerves inside the inner ear; also called bionic ear |
pneumatic otoscopy | Procedure that assesses the ability of the tympanic membrane to move in response to a change in air pressure |
blepharoptosis | Prolapse of the eyelid. |
otic analgesics | Provide temporary relief of pain and inflammation associated with otic disorders |
dacryocystography | Radiographic imaging procedures of the nasolacrimal glands and ducts |
tympanoplasty | Reconstruction of the eardrum, commonly due to perforation; also called myringoplasty |
evisceration | Removal of the contents of the eye while leaving the sclera and the cornea intact |
enucleation | Removal of the eyeball from the orbit |
vertigo | Sensation of a spinning motion either of oneself or of the surroundings |
labyrinth | Series of intricate communicating passages |
achromatopsia | Severe congenital deficiency in colour perception; also called complete colour blindness |
ear canal | Slender tube lined with glands, through which sound waves travel to the middle ear |
chalazion | Small, hard tumour developing on the eyelid, somewhat similar to sebaceous cyst |
cochlea | Snail-shaped inner ear structure |
ophthalmatic moisturizers | Soothe dry eyes dut to environmental irritants and allergens |
slit-lamp examination (SLE) | Stereoscopic magnified view of the anterior eye structures in detail, which includes the cornea, lens, iris, sclera, and vitreous humor |
opaque | Substance or surface that neither transmits nor allows the passage of light |
sclerostomy | Surgical formation of an opening in the sclera |
mastoid antrotomy | Surgical opening of a cavity within the mastoid process. |
keratocentesis | Surgical puncture of the cornea |
papilledema | Swelling and hyperemia of the optic disc, usually associated with increased intracranial pressure; also called choked disc |
gustation | Taste |
caloric stimulation test | Test that uses different water temperatures to assess the vestibular portion of the nerve of the inner ear to determine if nerve damage is the cause of vertigo. |
cornea | The clear, transparent portion of the sclera, anterior to the lens |
ossicles | Three tiny articulating bones in the middle ear |
hairs of Corti | Tiny nerve endings within the cochlea which combine with cochlear fluid to generate nerve impulses to the brain via the auditory nerve |
adnexa | Tissues or structures in the body adjacent to or near a related structure |
ear antiemetrics | Treat and prevent nausea , vomiting, dizziness, and vertigo by reducing the sensitivity of the inner ear to motion or inhibiting stimuli from reaching the part of the brain that triggers nausea and vomiting |
Weber tuning fork test | Tuning fork test that evaluates bone conduction of sound in both ears at the same time. |
Rinne tuning fork test | Tuning fork test that evaluates bone conduction versus air conduction of sound |
nystagmus | Type of involuntary eye movements that appear jerky and may reduce vision or be associated with other, more serious conditions that limit vision |
photophobia | Unusual intolerance and sensitivity to light |
intracapsular extraction | Use of cold metal probe to remove cataracts |
metamorphopsia | Visual distortion of objects |
otoscopy | Visual examination of the external auditory canal and the tympanic membrane using an otoscope |
ophthalmoscopy | Visual examination of the interior of the eye using a hand-held instrument called an ophthalmoscope, which has various adjustable lenses for magnification and a light source to illuminate the interior of the eye |