Chapter 17 medical terms (ear)

suppurative otitis media

As bacteria invade the middle ear, pus formation occurs

Meniere disease

Disorder of the labyrinth of the inner ear; elevated endolymph pressure within the cochlea and semicircular canals

serous otitis media

a noninfectious inflammation with accumulation of serous fluid

audiogram

a record of hearing loss for each frequency

audiometer

an electrical device that delivers acoustic stimuli of specific frequencies to determine a patient's hearing loss for each frequency

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

otosclerosis

hardening of the bony tissue of the middle ear

otitis media

inflammation of the middle ear

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

vertigo

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

tinnitus

sensation of noises (ringing, buzzes, whistling, booming) in the ears

cochlear implant

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

audiometry

testing the sense of hearing

otoscopy

visual examination of the ear canal with an otoscope