Visual and Auditory Impairments

• exophthalmos is bulging eyes
• diplopia is double vision
• ptosis is drooping eyes
• strabismus is wandering eyes
• Myopia is nearsightedness
• Presbyopia is farsightedness due to age
• hyperopia is farsightedness
• astigmatism is corneal curvature
• aphakia is absence of lens
• Assessment of Visual System

  • Snellen chart
  • EOM (extraocular movement)
  • PERRLA
  • Confrontation (peripheral vision check)
• Conjunctivitis is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva. It is highly contagious.

  • Symptoms include edema, redness, pain, drainage, and blurred vision.
  • Treatments include antibiotics, antihistamines, corticosteroids and eyedrops.
• Cataracts are opacity within the lens of the eyes caused by age, smoking, and alcohol.

  • Symptoms include glare when light comes to the eyes, decreased vision, and abnormal color perception.
  • Drug therapy includes mydriatic agents which dilate the pupils, NSAID drops, topical antibiotics
  • Treatments include surgery with artificial lens. After surgery eye drops are needed for 2-4 weeks and patients need to avoid activities that increase intraocular pressure
• Retinopathy is microvascular damage that causes blood vessels in the eye to burst.

  • Symptoms include blurred vision
  • Treatments include anti vascular endothelial growth factor (VGEF) which slows the abnormal growth of broken blood vessels
• Age-related macular degeneration causes a gradual loss of central vision, leading to a loss of peripheral vision.

  • It has 2 forms:
  • Dry: painless but close vision tasks are harder
  • Wet: painful and causes blurred vision, blind spots and darkened vision
  • Treatments include vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and Zinc
• Glaucoma causes peripheral vision loss aka tunnel vision

  There are 2 types

  • Primary open-angle glaucoma: gradual peripheral vision loss
  • Acute angle-closure (EMERGENCY): increases IOP to the 30s and is very painful. Causes colored halos around lights, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and eye redness
• Problems with the middle ear causes conductive loss
• Problems with the inner ear causes sensorial hearing loss
• presbycusis is hearing loss caused by age
• tinnitus is ringing in the ears
• In conductive hearing loss, sound transmission is impaired and the person needs hearing aid
• In sensorineural hearing loss sound is not clear and the person needs cochlear implants
• A tuning fork tests bone and ear conduction