Sensory Impairment Flashcards
1
Q
What is sensory impairment?
A
- when one or more of a person’s senses is no longer normal
- does not need to be full loss of sense
2
Q
What is the current terminology to describe changes to sight?
A
- sight impaired
- severely sight impaired
3
Q
What are the two main causes of visual impairment?
A
- uncorrected refractive errors
- cataracts
4
Q
What are symptoms of visual impairment?
A
- severe, sudden eye pain
- recurrent pain in or around the eye
- hazy, blurred or double vision
- flashes of light or sudden bright floating spots
- rainbows or halos around lights
- floating spider webs
- curtain coming down over one eye
- sensing cup filling up with ink
- red, swollen eyes
- changes to iris colour
- white areas in the pupil
- itching, burning, heavy discharge
- gritting feeling
- sudden change to vision
5
Q
What are the difficulties potentially faced by those with sight impairment
A
- unable to access printed material
- difficulty accessing the internet/electronic devices
- difficulty getting to destinations and around their environment
- difficulty accessing unfamiliar buildings and environments
- lack of awareness from others as of how to help
6
Q
How can communication for those with sight impairment be maximised?
A
- always identify yourself
- use names to identify people
- inform the visually impaired person informed of movements
- tell them what you are going to do before you do it
- avoid the use of non-verbal communication
- provide information in alternative formats (braille, large print)
- prepare the surgery appropriately
7
Q
In what ways can hearing be impaired?
A
- disease
- disorder
- injury
8
Q
What is the functional impact of hearing impairment?
A
- ability to communicate with others altered
- spoken language development often delayed in children
- adverse effect on academic performance of children
- increased rates of grade failure and greater need for educational assistance
9
Q
What are the potential social and emotional impacts of hearing impairment?
A
- exclusion from communication
- loneliness
- isolation
- frustration
10
Q
What are the congenital causes of hearing loss?
A
- maternal infection
- rubella
- syphilis
- low birth weight
- birth asphyxia
- drug use during pregnancy
- amnioglycosides
- cytotoxic drugs
- antimalarial drugs
- diuretics
- severe jaundice in neonatal period
11
Q
What are the acquired causes of hearing loss?
A
- infectious diseases
- meningitis
- measles
- mumps
- chronic ear infections
- collection of fluid in the ear
- otitis media
- medications for:
- neonatal infections
- malaria
- drug-resistant tuberculosis
- cancers
- injury to head or ear
- excessive noise exposure
- ageing
- degeneration of sensory cells
- wax or foreign bodies blocking ear canal
12
Q
What are signs of hearing impairment?
A
- inactivity
-reduced development of speech and language skills - deterioration of speech
- reduced social and emotional development
- irritability
- autistic like behaviour
- confusion
- unawareness of surrounding
- failure to respond to sound
- asking for sentences to be repeated
- speaking in an unusually loud voice
- isolating themselves
13
Q
How can hearing impairment be treated or prevented?
A
- early detection is vital
- early management
- surgical
- medical
- use of hearing aids
- immunisation
- avoidance of some drugs
- reducing occupational exposure
14
Q
How can communication be maximised with those with hearing impairment?
A
- ask if they want to use a loop system
- establish their preferred method of communication
- book interpreters if required
- always face the person
- use clear speech and normal lip pattern
- use finger spelling
- speak at ear level
- repeat and rephrase
- write things down
- ask to repeat important information back
- reduce background noise
- allow extra time
