Unit 4

• Hypertension
• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• obesity

• Eye trauma
• head injury
• severe myopia

Exposure to UV light

• halos around lights
• blurred vision
• visual field loss

• blurred vision
• photophobia
• glare

intraocular pressure, causes optic nerve atrophy and visual field loss

most common type of glaucoma. Often genetically determined. Insidious and comes on slowly and bilateral. the cause is that the aqueous humor cna't leve the eye, its blocked. Aqueous humor flow is slowed or stopped b/c of obstruction by the trabecular meshwork

• sudden blockage of aqueous humor usually in one eye
• anterior chamber angle is automatically narrow. the attack occurs b/c of a sudden blockage of the anterior angle by the bases of the iris

optic nerve damage, optic nerve is damaged even though IOP is not high

always has to do with something else (trauma, surgery, injury, DM). May occur as a result of trauma that can disrupt the flow pattern of aqueous humor

• ophthalmoscopic exam - shows atrophy (pale color) and cupping (indentation) of the optic nerve head
• visual field exam - used to determine the extent of peripheral vision loss
• slit-lamp exam - may deomnstrate an erythematous conjunctiva and corneal cloudiness. aqueous humor may appear turbid (hazy) and the pupil may be nonreactive.

try to facilitate the outflow of aqueous humor through remaining channels and to maintain IOP w/in a range that prevents futher damage to the optic nerve. If the IOP is high it must be reduced to retain vision. If the vision is lost the goals are to restore independence

decreased O2 level in lens, and become dehydrated. Na and Ca become increased in lens. After a period of time they will appear more yellowish. Blurred vision that is not cleared by glasses. Photophoia, see better in low lit environments. No pain in cataracts

separation of retina from choroid. Detaches and deprived of blood supply which can result in blindness

degenerative process that affects macula and surrounding tissue. Affects central visual deficits. Usually in older people

farsighted. Eye focuses light rays behind eye and image in retina is blurred. Eye shorter than the other

nearsightedness. Light rays come into foucs in front of retina. refractive power of eye is too strong and a concave or minus lens is used to focus light rays on the eye. Eyeball longer than the other

hearing loss

• results from the interference of sound transmission through the external ear and middle ear
• Sound transimssion from inner ear to brain is normal
• sound is perceived as faint or distant but remains clear
• correctable by surgery

• anything that blocks the ear, like ear wax, infection, foreign body
• thickening, retraction, scarring, or perforation of the tympanic membrane
• any pathophysiologic changes in the middle ear that affect or freeze one or more of the ossicles

• caused by the impairment of the function of the inner ear, the eighth crainial nerve, or the brain
• results from disease or trauma to the organ of Corti or auditory nerve pathways of the inner ear leading to the brain stem. Normal reception and transmission of sound waves are disrupted. sound is distorted and faint. usually permanent and not correctable by surgery

congenital and hereditary, noise injury, aging and degenerative process, meiere's disease, and ototoxicity

• ringing, roaring, chirping
• Subjective tinnitus - most common, ear noise that can't be heard by observer
• Objective tinnitus - ear noise that can be heard by someone other than the client

ear infection. Defined as pain in the ear or earache. Can be the result of infection in the external or middle ear or trauma to the ear and head. Most common problem found in the external ear are infections, called external otitis

perception that either oneself or one's surroundings are moving. Often described as dizziness. Vertigo is different than dizziness, results from the imbalance of neural signals from the vestibular system in the ears the imbalance is interpreted by the brain as constant motion in space

facilitates the rate that aqueous humor leaves the eye to decrease intraocular pressure. Used to treat glaucoma

eye drops to reduce production of aqueous humor (for glaucoma)

With surgery, regional or local anesthetic used, moderate conciousness, removed by making incision in cornea put intraocular lens in eye and actually replace lens. Complications include secondary glaucoma infections. highest in first 12 months

• leave eye patch in place
• for 24 hrs limit activity to sitting in chair
• do not rub eye
• do not lift more than 5 pounds
• do not strain or bear down (BM)
• do not sleep on operative side of body
• take eyedrops
• take tylenol
• do not take aspirin
• report any pain

• take eye drops
• know manifestations of infections
• know manifestations of IOP
• do not rub
• clarefully clean around eye with warm washcloth

• benign paroxysmal positional vertigo - common cause of vertigo tends to follow head injury and viral infections of the inner ear. Due to presence of Ca crystals in semicircular canals. When head is placed in certain positions
• labyrinthitis - infection or inflammation of cochlear or vestibular portion of the inner ear. tends to occur in spring and summer and to be preceded by an upper respiratory tract infection. Vertigo is sudden in onset and peaks in 24-48 hrs then gradually subsides
• Meniere's Disease

dizziness may be a manifestation of a TIA, loss of blood to brain. Numbness, tingling, momentary LOC, weakness

• physiologic vertigo - involved in common disorders such as motion sickness, vertigo is minimal or absent, but autonomic manifestations are present. N/V, increased salvation, yawning
• presbyastasis - disequilibruim of aging. generalized degenerative changes that occur in aging, balance and stability are affected
• orthostatic hypotension

• caused by excess endolymph in the vestibular and semicircular canals. Causes hearing changes and vertigo. is an episodic illness that waxes and wanes, often remain quiescent for many years than reappearing.
• problems with balance, dizziness, tennitus, fluctuating hearing loss,

low salt, and diuretic may reduce frequency of attacks. Avoid caffeine, smoking and alcohol

a precursor to a migraine, more common in men, in spring and fall and can last 4-8 weeks for 15 min to 3 hrs. triggered by ETOH

result from muscle contraction. described as a tight band-like discomfort that is unrelenting. pain builds slowly, fluctuates in severity and may persist more or less for many days. occur more often than 15 days a month

often considered to be a vascular headache with vasospasm and ischemia of intracrainal vessels being the cause of the pain. begin in puberty and are more common in women. last b/t 4-72 hrs. pain is thrbbing and pulsatile. Photophobia, anorexia, N/V

meningitis and a brain abscess

lie down or remain stationary