N109: Foundations in Nursing Practice

N109: Foundations in Nursing Practice Study Guide other symptoms. Hearing loss may occur with low frequency noises being lost first. There is no known cure for Meniere’s disease. • Labyrinthitis: This is an ear disorder that involves irritation and swelling of the inner ear. Although this condition often occurs after otitis media, it may also be caused by allergies or upper respiratory infections. Typical symptoms include vertigo and dizziness, hearing loss, nausea and vomiting, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Treatment for labyrinthitis is primarily aimed at reducing the symptoms. Medications, such as antihistamines and corticosteroids, may help when symptoms are severe. Antiemetics and medications to relieve dizziness may also be helpful in controlling symptoms. • Presbycusis : This is commonly referred to as age-related hearing loss, and is the slow loss of hearing that occurs as people get older. This type of hearing loss occurs when the cilia in the ear are damaged or die. Genetics, prolonged exposure to loud noises, and smoking may be factors associated with age-related hearing loss. Symptoms may include difficulty hearing (especially in loud locations), higher pitched sounds may become harder to hear, voices may sound mumbled, and tinnitus may occur. Since there is no cure for presbycusis, treatment should be focused on aiding the hearing that is present. These aids may include: o Hearing aids o Telephone amplifiers o Lip reading o Sign language o Cochlear implants 5.6 Clinical Manifestations of Sensory Impairment It is important for the nurse to understand the clinical signs and symptoms associated with sensory impairments. Vision Loss Vision loss is any reduction in the ability to see, including blurred vision, cloudy vision, double vision, blind spots, loss of visual acuity, poor night vision, and loss of peripheral vision (tunnel vision). Vision loss may affect one or both eyes, it may occur gradually or suddenly, and it may be partial or complete. Vision changes may originate in the eyes themselves or may be caused by many different conditions that affect the brain or even the whole body. Hearing Loss Hearing loss can be categorized by which part of the auditory system is damaged. There are three basic types of hearing loss: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss. Conductive h aring loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the ossicles of the middle ear. Conductive hearing loss usually involves a reduction in the ability to hear faint sounds. This type of hearing loss can often be corrected medically or surgically. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) occurs when there is damage to the inner ear, or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Most of the time, SNHL cannot be medically or surgically corrected. This is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. Sometimes a

©2017

Achieve Test Prep

Page 78

of 154