Transcript Slide 1 - My Teacher Pages

Chapter 34
Hearing, Speech,
and Vision Problems
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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Hearing, speech, and vision:
• Allow communication, learning, and moving about
• Are important for self-care, work, and most activities
• Are important for safety and security needs
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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EAR DISORDERS
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Otitis media is infection or inflammation of the
middle ear.
• Otitis media is acute or chronic.
• Fluid builds up in the ear.
• Signs and symptoms include:
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Pain and hearing loss
Fever and tinnitus
• An untreated infection can travel to the brain and other
structures in the head.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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Meniere’s disease
• Involves the inner ear
• Is a common cause of hearing loss
• Usually affects one ear
• Symptoms include vertigo (dizziness), tinnitus, hearing
loss, and pain or pressure in the affected ear.
• Treatment involves drugs, fluid restriction, a low-salt diet,
no alcohol or caffeine, and safety measures during
vertigo.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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Hearing loss
• Hearing loss is not being able to hear the normal range
of sounds associated with normal hearing.
• Deafness is hearing loss in which it is impossible for the
person to understand speech through hearing alone.
• Common causes of hearing loss are damage to the
outer, middle, or inner ear and damage to the auditory
nerve.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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• Risk factors that can damage the ear structures
include:
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Aging
Exposure to very loud sounds and noises
Drugs (antibiotics, too much aspirin)
Infections
Reduced blood flow to the ear
Stroke
Head injuries
Tumors
Heredity
Birth defects
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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• Temporary hearing loss can occur from earwax
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(cerumen).
Clear speech, responding to others, safety, and
awareness of surroundings require hearing.
A person may not notice gradual hearing loss.
There are some obvious signs and symptoms
of hearing loss.
Psychological and social changes are less
obvious.
Hearing is needed for speech.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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• Persons with hearing loss may wear hearing
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aids or lip-read (speech-read).
Some people learn sign language.
Some people have hearing assistance dogs
(hearing dogs).
Hearing aids make sounds louder.
If a hearing aid does not seem to work properly:
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Check if the hearing aid is on.
Check the battery position.
Insert a new battery if needed.
Clean the hearing aid.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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SPEECH DISORDERS
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A speech disorder results in impaired or ineffective oral
communication.
Aphasia means the inability to have normal speech.
• Expressive aphasia (motor aphasia, Broca’s aphasia)
• Receptive aphasia (Wernicke’s aphasia)
• Expressive-receptive aphasia (global aphasia, mixed aphasia)
The person with apraxia of speech cannot use the speech
muscles to produce understandable speech.
Dysarthria means difficult or poor speech.
• It is caused by nervous system damage.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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EYE DISORDERS
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Vision loss occurs at all ages.
 Vision loss is sudden or gradual in onset.
 One or both eyes are affected.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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 Glaucoma
results from damage to the optic nerve.
• Fluid builds up in the eye and causes pressure on the optic
nerve.
• Peripheral vision (side vision) is lost.
• Other signs and symptoms vary.
• Risk factors
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African-Americans over 40 years of age
Everyone over 60 years of age
Those with a family history of the disease
Those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease
Those who have eye diseases or eye injuries
Those who have had eye surgery
• Drugs and surgery can control glaucoma and prevent further
damage to the optic nerve.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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Cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye.
• Signs and symptoms include:
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Cloudy, blurry, or dimmed vision
Colors seem faded
Sensitivity to light and glares
Poor vision at night
Halos around lights
Double vision in one eye
• Risk factors
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Age
Diabetes
Smoking and alcohol use
Prolonged exposure to sunlight
A family history of cataracts
• Surgery is the only treatment.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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 Age-related
macular degeneration (AMD)
• AMD is a disease that blurs central vision.
• Painless, it is the leading cause of blindness in persons
60 years of age and older.
• The two types of AMD are wet AMD and dry AMD.
• Risk factors
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Aging
Smoking
Obesity
Whites are at greater risk than any other group.
Family history of AMD
Women are at greater risk than men.
Light-colored eyes
Exposure to sunlight
Cardiovascular disease
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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• When dry AMD is advanced, no treatment can prevent
vision loss.
• For wet AMD, some treatments may stop or slow the
progress of the disease.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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Diabetic retinopathy
• The tiny blood vessels in the retina are damaged.
• It is a leading cause of blindness.
• Everyone with diabetes is at risk for diabetic retinopathy.
• The person needs to control his or her diabetes, blood
pressure, and blood cholesterol.
• Advanced retinopathy is treated with laser surgery.
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Low vision is eyesight that cannot be corrected
with eyeglasses, contact lenses, drugs, or surgery.
• The person learns how to use one or more visual and
adaptive devices.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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Impaired vision and blindness
• Amount of vision loss varies.
• Braille is a touch reading and writing system that uses
raised dots for each letter of the alphabet.
• Blind and visually impaired persons learn to move about
using a long cane with a red tip or using a dog guide.
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Eyeglasses and contact lenses can correct many
vision problems.
 Removal of an eyeball is sometimes done
because of injury or disease.
• The person is fitted with an ocular prosthesis (artificial
eye).
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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QUALITY OF LIFE
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Hearing, speech, and vision problems can
interfere with quality of life.
 The focus is on the person’s abilities.
• Do not pity the person.
• Treat the person like an adult.
• Be patient, understanding, and sensitive.
Copyright © 2007, 2003 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.
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