Question | Answer |
acous/o | hearing |
audi/o | hearing |
aer/o | air or gas |
aur/i | ear |
ot/o | ear |
cerumin/o | wax |
salping/o | eustachian tube or uterine tube |
tympan/o | eardrum |
myring/o | eardrum |
-acusis | hearing condition |
external ear | pinna, external auditory meatus, cerumen |
pinna | auricle (little ear) ; projected part of the external ear |
external auditory meatus (canal) | external passage for sounds collected from the pinna to the tympanum |
cerumen | waxy substance secreted by glands located throughout the external canal |
middle ear | tympanic membrane, malleus,incus, stapes |
tympanic membrane | eardrum; drum like structure that receives sound collected in the external auditory meatus and amplifies it through the middle ear |
malleus | hammer; first of the 3 auditory ossicles of the middle ear |
incus | anvil; middle of the 3 ossicles of the middle ear |
stapes | stirrup; last of the three auditory ossicles of the middle ear |
eustachian tube | tube connecting the middle ear to the pharynx (throat) |
auditory tube | tube connecting the middle ear to the pharynx (throat) |
mastoid process | projection of the temporal bone located behind the ear containing air cells that connect to the middle ear |
oval window | membrane that covers the opening between the middle ear and the inner ear |
inner ear | structures and liquids that relay sound waves to the auditory nerve fibers on a path to the brain for interpretation of sound |
labyrinth | maze, inner ear consisting of bony and membranous labyrinths |
cochlea | coiled tubular structure of the inner ear that contains the organ of corti |
perilymph | fluid that fills the bony labyrinth of the ear |
endolymph | fluid within the cochlear duct of the inner ear (labyrinth) |
organ of Corti | organ located in the cochlea that contains receptors (hair cells) that receive vibrations and generate nerve impulses for hearing |
vestibule | middle part of the inner ear in front of the semicircular cannals and behind the cochlea that contains the utricle and saccule |
utricle | larger of the two sacs within the membranous labyrinth of the vestibule in the inner ear (uter=leather bag) |
saccule | smaller of the two sacs within the membranous labyrinth of the vestibule in the inner ear (sacculus = small bag) |
semicircular canals | three canals withinthe inner ear that contain specialized receptor cells that generate nerve impulses with body movement |
otalgia | earache |
otodynia | earache |
otorrhagia | bleeding from the ear |
otorrhea | purulent drainage from the ear |
tinnitus | a jingling; ringing or buzzing in the ear |
vertigo | a turning round; dizziness |
otitis externa | inflammation of the external auditory meatus |
cerumen impaction | excessive buildup of wax in the ear |
myringitis | inflammation of the eardrum |
tympanitis | inflammation of the earddrum |
otitis media | inflammation of the middle ear |
aerotitis media | inflammation of the middle ear from changes in atmospheric pressure, often occurs in frequent air travel |
otosclerosis | hardening of the bony tissue in the ear |
mastoiditis | inflammation of the mastoid process; most commonly seen as a result of the spread of inflammation and infection in otitis media |
eustachian obstruction | blockage of the eustachian tube usually as a result of infection, as in otitis media |
acoustic neuroma | benign tumor on the auditory nerve (8th cranial nerve) that causes vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss |
aplasia | condition of absence or malformation of inner ear structures resulting in hearing loss |
labyrinthitis | inflammation of the labyrinth |
Meniere disease | disorder of the inner ear due to an excessive buildup of endolymphatic fluid causing episodes of vertigo tinnitus N/V, and hearing loss. one or both ears may be affected and attacks vary in frequency/intensity |
deafness | general term for partial or complete hearing loss |
conductive hearing loss | hearing impairment caused by interference with sound or vibratory energy in the external canal, middle ear, or ossicles |
sensorineural hearing loss | hearing impairment caused by lesions or dysfunction of the cochlea or auditory nerve |
mixed hearing loss | combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss |
presbyacusis | hearing impairment in old age |
presbycusis | hearing impairment in old age |