Health Sciences 1101

Medical Terminology

Module 11Special Senses: Eyes and Ears

Basic Eye and Ear Terms

Ocul/o, opthalm/o or opt/o: Pertaining to the eye

Optometrist or optician: specialist in providing corrective lenses to improve vision

Ophthalmologist: Medical doctor who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders

Otolaryngology: branch of medicine that focuses on diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the ears, nose, and throat.

Otolaryngologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears nose and throat. Also called an ENT.

Eye Anatomy TermsBlephar/o: eyelid

Conjunctiv/o: conjunctiva

Choroid/o: choroid

Corne/o or kerat/o: cornea

Cor/o, core/o or pupill/o: pupil

Dacry/o or lacrim/o: tear or tear ducts

Irid/o: iris

Retin/o: retina

Other Eye Terms-opia or –opsia: vision

-ptosis: prolapse or downward displacement

-tropia: turning

Hyperopia: The lense focuses the visual image beyond the retina, causing difficulty in seeing close objects. Also called farsightedness.

Myopia: The eyeball is too long, so the image falls in front of the retina, causing difficulty in seeing far away objects. Also called nearsightedness.

Eye Related Pathology Terms

Astigmatism: Abnormal curvature of the cornea, which causes light rays to focus unevenly over the retina.

Cataract: opacity or cloudiness of the lens. Commonly associated with aging.

Achromatopsia: Colorblindness

Eye Related Pathology Terms

Macular degeneration: breakdown of the tissue in the macula. Results in central vision loss.

Glaucoma: Increased intraocular pressure caused by the failure of the aqueous humor to drain. Results in atrophy of the optic nerve and, eventually, blindness

Eye Related Pathology TermsConunctivitis: Inflammation of

the conjunctiva. Can be caused by allergy, bacteria, irritation or a foreign body.

Hordeolum: A small purulent inflammatory infection of a sebaceous gland of the eyelid. Sometimes called a sty.

Photophobia: Unusual intolerance and sensitivity to light. Occurs in diseases such as meningitis or measles and in inflammation/injury of the eyes

Eye Related Pathology TermsRetinal detachment:

separation of the retina from the choroid. Disrupts vision and results in blindness if not corrected.

Diabetic retinopathy: Retinal blood vessel disorder that occurs in people with diabetes. Small hemorrhages, edema, and formation of new vessels leading to scarring and eventual loss of vision

Eye Related Pathology Terms

Strabismus: Abnormal turning or pulling of the eye

Esotropia: strabismus in which one eye turns inward or toward the other eye

Exotropia: strabismus in which one eye turns outward, or away from the other eye.

Both esotropia and exotropia can cause diplopia.

Eye Related Diagnosis

Visual Acuity Test: Standard test involves reading the Snellen chart from 20 feet away.

Tonometry: Measuring intraocular pressure to detect glaucoma

Opthalmoscopy: Visual examination of the eye using a lighted instrument.

Eye Related Treatment

Corneal transplant: Surgical transplantation of a donor cadaver cornea onto the recipient’s eye

Cataract surgery: Excision of cataracts by surgically removing the lens and inserting an artifical intraocular lens

Phacoemulsification: Ultrasonic vibrations break the lens into tiny particles which are gently suctioned out of the eye

Eye Related Treatment

Extracapsular Cataract Extraction: Excision of most of the lens, followed by insertion of an intraocular lens transplant

Iridectomy: Surgical removal of parts of the iris

Acous/o, aud/i, or audit/o: hearing

Myring/o or tympan/o: tympanic membrane

Ot/o: ear

Salping/o: tube (in this case, the eustachian tube

-acusis: hearing

Cerumen: earwax

Ear Anatomy Terms

Ear Related Pathology TermsVertigo: Sensation of moving

around in space; a feeling of spinning or dizziness. Usually results from damage to inner ear structures associated with balance or equilibrium

Tinnitus: A ringing in the ears

Anacusis: Complete hearing loss or total deafness.

Otitis media: Middle ear infection, typically bacterial and most often seen in children

Ear Related Pathology Terms

Ménière’s Disease: A rare disorder within the labyrinth of the inner ear that can lead to a progressive loss of hearing. Symptoms include vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and the sensation of pressure in the ear. Cause is unknown.

Acoustic Neuroma: A benign tumor of the acoustic nerve sheath. Symptoms result from pressure exerted on surrounding tissue.

Ear Related Pathology TermsPresbycusis: Impairment of

hearing resulting from old age

Conductive Hearing Loss: Hearing loss caused by a blockage of the ear canal or damage to the eardrum or ossicles. Transmission of sound is prevented.

Otosclerosis: Progressive deafness due to ossification in the bony labyrinth of the inner ear. A stapedectomy is often successful in permanently restoring hearing

Ear Related Diagnosis Terms

Otoscopy: Visual examination of the ear using an otoscope

Audiometry: Measures hearing acuity at various sound frequencies

Rinne Test: Hearing acuity test using a vibrating tuning fork to test sound conduction through bone and air

Ear Related Treatment TermsMyringoplasty: Surgical repair of a

perforated eardrum with a tissue graft

Myringotomy: Incise the eardrum. Relieve pressure and release pus or serous fluid from the middle ear. Surgically insert tympanostomy tubes in the eardrum

Cochlear Implant: Electronic transmitter that is surgically implanted into the cochlea of a deaf individual to restore hearing loss