Chapter 17 Medical terms (ear)

AOM

acute otitis media

acoustic neuroma

benign tumor arising from the acoustic vestibulocochlear nerve (eighth cranial nerve) in the brain

cholesteatoma

collection of skin cells and cholesterol in a sac within the middle ear

Meniere disease

disorder of the labyrinth of the inner ear; elevated endolymph pressure within the cochlea (cochlear hydrops) and semicircular canals (vestibular hydrops)

ENT

ears, nose, and throat

audiometer

electrical device that delivers acoustic stimuli of specific frequencies and decibels (loudness) to determine a patient's hearing level for frequency

EENT

eyes, ears, nose, and throat

otosclerosis

hardening of the bony tissue of the middle ear

otitis media

inflammation of the middle ear

supportive otitis media

inflammation of the middle ear with pus formation

deafness

loss of the ability to hear

ear thermometry

measurement of the temperature of the tympanic membrane by detection of infrared radiation from the eardrum

serous otitis media

noninfectious inflammation with accumulation of serous fluid

OM

otitis media

vertigo

sensation of irregular or whirling motion either of oneself or of external objects

tinnitus

sensation of noises in the ears without an external source

cochlear implant

surgical insertion of a device that allows sensorineural hearing-impaired persons to understand speech

audiometery

testing the sense of hearing

otoscopy

visual examination of the ear canal with an otoscope