Sensory

• Congenital cataracts


  Clouding of the lens that is present at birth, resulting in hazy vision
• Anotia


  Absence of the auricle
• Microtia


  Underdeveloped, small auricle
• Presbyopia


  Difficulty focusing the eyes, intolerance to glare, difficulty adapting to darkness and brightness
• Presbycusis

  Accelerated hearing loss in people exposed to excessive noise or smoking when younger
• Tinnitus

  Ringing, buzzing, roaring, or humming sound
• Conjunctivitis


  Infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva, the lining of the eyelids and sclera
• Causes of conjunctivitis


  • Viral infections
  • Bacterial infections
  • Allergens and irritants
• Keratitis


  Inflammation of the cornea, triggered by infection or trauma
• Otitis media

  Infection or inflammation of the middle ear, decreasing the ability of fluid to drain adequately
• Otitis media

  • Can lead to rupture of the tympanic membrane, scar tissue formation, and conductive hearing loss
• Signs and symptoms of otitis media

  • Ear pain
  • Crying or irritability
  • Rubbing or pulling at the ear
  • Mild hearing deficits
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Red, bulging tympanic membrane
  • Indications of infection (e.g. fever, malaise, and chills)
  • Purulent of clear exudate from the external ear canal (if the tympanic membrane ruptures)
• Otitis externa

  Infection or inflammation of the external ear canal or auricle, usually bacterial in origin
• Clinical manifestations of otitis externa

  • Ear pain that worsens with auricle movement
  • Purulent exudate
  • Pruritus
  • Sensation of fullness in the ear, and hearing deficits
• Treatment for otitis externa

  • Otologic antibiotic
  • Antifungal
  • Corticosteroids
  • Analgesic agents
• Eye trauma


  Results from numerous types of injuries, including direct physical trauma or chemical burns
• Clinical manifestations of eye trauma

  • Eye pain
  • Edema
  • Blurry vision
  • Diplopia (double vision)
  • Dry eyes
  • Photophobia
  • Floaters
  • Pupil dilation
  • Pupils that are unresponsive to light
• Treatment strategies for eye trauma

  • Flushing the irritant out of the eye with sterile saline
  • Avoiding rubbing the eye
  • Leaving an embedded object in the eye
  • Covering the eye with a sterile dressing or cloth
  • Applying eye patches to protect the eye during healing
  • Repairing any damage surgically
• Ear trauma


  Results from a variety of injuries to any of the internal or external ear structures, from direct physical trauma or exposure to excessively loud noises
• Clinical manifestations of ear trauma

  • Bloody or clear exudate
  • Tinnitus
  • Dizziness
  • Ear pain
  • Hearing deficits
  • Nausea & vomiting
  • Edema
  • Sensation that an object is in the ear
• Treatment strategies for ear trauma

  • Removing the object if it is visible and easily removed
  • Flushing the ear with sterile water or saline to remove small objects
  • Performing surgery to remove objects or repair the damage
  • Limiting exposure to loud sounds as structures heal
• Glaucoma


  Group of eye conditions that lead to damage to the optic nerve, often caused by increased intraocular pressure or decreased blood flow
• Types of glaucoma


  • Open-angle (chronic) glaucoma
  • Closed-angle (acute) glaucoma
  • Congenital glaucoma
  • Secondary glaucoma
• Open-angle (chronic) glaucoma


  • Intraocular pressure increases gradually over an extended period, tends to run in families
• Closed-angle (acute) glaucoma


  • Results from a sudden blockage of aqueous humor outflow, a medical emergency
• Congenital glaucoma


  • Present at birth, results from abnormal development of outflow channels, follows an X-linked, recessive hereditary pattern
• Secondary glaucoma


  • Results from the use of certain medications, eye diseases, systemic diseases, and trauma
• Glaucoma treatment strategies

  • Chronic disease management
  • Treatment or elimination of underlying causes
  • Pharmacologic and surgical treatments
• Cataracts


  Opacity or clouding of the lens, occurring as a congenital condition or developing later in life
• Clinical manifestations of cataracts


  • Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy, or filmy vision
  • Color intensity loss
  • Diplopia
  • Impaired night vision, gradually progressing to impaired day vision
  • Halos around lights
  • Photosensitivity
  • Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact prescription
• Macular degeneration


  Deterioration of the macular area of the retina, caused by impaired blood supply and cellular waste accumulation
• Types of macular degeneration

  • Dry macular degeneration
  • Wet macular degeneration
• Dry macular degeneration


  • Most common form, occurs when blood vessels under the macula become thin and brittle, and small yellow deposits (drusen) form
• Wet macular degeneration


  • Occurs in only approximately 10% of people, results from breakdown of brittle vessels and growth of new abnormal fragile blood vessels under the macula
• Recommended supplements for macular degeneration

  • 500 mg of Vitamin C
  • 400 international units of Vitamin E
  • 80 mg of Zinc
  • 2 mg of Copper
  • 10 mg of Lutein
  • 2 mg of Zeaxanthin
• Otosclerosis


  Abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, usually involving an imbalance in bone formation and resorption
• Treatment strategies for otosclerosis

  • Medications such as oral fluoride, calcium, or vitamin D
  • Hearing aids
  • Surgery to remove the stapes (stapedectomy) with or without placement of a prosthetic device
• Meniere's disease


  Disorder of the inner ear resulting from endolymph swelling, which stretches the membranes and interferes with hair receptors
• Clinical manifestations of Meniere's disease

  • Intermittent episodes of vertigo
  • Tinnitus
  • Unilateral hearing loss
  • Sensation of ear fullness
• Treatment strategies for Meniere's disease

  • Antihistamines
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Anticholinergic agents
  • Diuretics
  • Antiemetic agents
  • Limiting dietary sodium intake
  • Middle ear injections of gentamicin
  • Vestibular nerve resection
  • Hearing aids
  • Physical therapy to improve balance