Ears Medical Terms

Question 1

Tympanic membrane

Answer 1

‘Eardrum’; a thin, translucent, oval membrane that stretches
across the ear canal and separates the middle ear from the
outer ear

Question 2

Eustachian tube

Answer 2

Connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx and allows passage
of air

Question 3

Pinna

Answer 3

Auricle or outer ear

Question 4

Cerumen

Answer 4

Usually yellow, waxy material that lubricates and protects the ear
canal

Question 5

Amplitude

Answer 5

Is the loudness of a sound that is heard

Question 6

Frequency

Answer 6

Is the pitch or number of cycles per second of sound that is heard

Question 7

Microtia

Answer 7

Ears smaller than 4 cm vertically

Question 8

Macrotia

Answer 8

Ears larger than 10 cm vertically

Question 9

Vertigo

Answer 9

A spinning, twirling sensation. May be objective-feels as if room
spins or subjective-person feels as if s/he spins

Question 10

Tinnitus

Answer 10

Ringing (crackling, buzzing) in the ears, a ‘phantom sound’ that
originates within the person

Question 11

Otorrhea

Answer 11

Discharge from the ear

Question 12

Otalgia

Answer 12

Pain in the ear

Question 13

Ototoxic

Answer 13

Ear poisoning, which results from exposure to drugs, chemicals or
adverse reaction affecting the inner ear or auditory nerve

Question 14

Sensorineural hearing loss

Answer 14

Hearing loss that involves the inner ear, CN VIII (Vestibulocochlear
or Auditory), or the auditory areas of the cerebral cortex

Question 15

Presbycusis

Answer 15

Hearing loss is gradual onset over years, from a gradual nerve
degeneration that occurs with aging

Question 16

Otosclerosis

Answer 16

Hearing loss from a gradual bone formation that causes the
footplate of the stapes to become fixed in the oval window,
impeding the transmission of sound and causing progressive
deafness

Question 17

Weber test

Answer 17

A screen for the presence of unilateral conductive hearing or
unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Using a tuning fork,
vibrations will be conducted through the skull and reach the
cochlea

Question 18

Rinne Test

Answer 18

A screen for the presence of unilateral conductive hearing loss.
Using a tuning fork, it compares perception of sounds
transmitted by air conduction to those transmitted by bone
conduction through the mastoid

Question 19

Otoscope

Answer 19

A medical device with a bright light that allows clinician to inspect
ear canal and Tympanic membrane

Question 20

Otitis media

Answer 20

Infection or inflammation of the middle ear and tympanic
membrane

Question 21

Otitis externa

Answer 21

Infection or inflammation of the outer ear and ear canal