Download GENETIC– conditions that have a characteristic of deafness/hearing

GENETIC– conditions that
have a characteristic of
deafness/hearing loss which
may be passed on from
generation to generation;
inherited
OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA:
 Also known as Brittle Bone Disease.
 Significant hearing loss has been
reported in approximately 50% of people
with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).
 incidence of hearing loss is much higher
than in the general population.
 Sometimes visible deformities in the
ossicles and inner ear can lead to hearing
loss. Sometimes the cause of the loss is
not visible.
 Environmental factors can contribute to
hearing loss in a person with OI in the
same way as for anyone else.
 Hearing loss can start at any time but
among people who have OI the loss often
starts at an earlier age and the likelihood
increases with age.
OTOSCLEROSIS:
 An abnormal bone growth in the middle ear
 This growth prevents the ear from vibrating
in response to sound waves -- which must
happen in order for you to hear. This lack of
vibration leads to hearing loss that continues
to get worse with time.
 the most frequent cause of middle ear
hearing loss in young adults.
 It affects about 10% of the U.S. population.
 gets worse slowly, usually beginning in early
to mid- adulthood
 more common in women than in men
 usually affects both ears
 Risks include pregnancy (which may trigger
onset) and a family history of hearing loss.
 Caucasians are more susceptible than others
to otosclerosis.
WAARDENBURG SYNDROME:
 PHYSICAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
o Widely spaced, almond shaped eyes
o Different color eyes, or one eye 2 colors
o Broad nasal bridge
o White forelock of hair
 Sensorineural hearing loss found in 60% of
individuals with WS.
 Autosomal dominant trait
CONGENITAL deafness/hearing loss
present at birth but not
necessarily hereditary;
acquired during fetal
development
Rubella Syndrome:
 a contagious infection in which there is a
rash on the skin
 caused by a virus that is spread through the
air or by close contact
 vaccination will protect from rubella
 However, if a mother is infected during early
pregnancy, rubella can cause defects in the
developing baby. The unborn baby can
develop congenital rubella syndrome, which
typically has a poor outcome. Defects are
rare if the infection occurs after the 20th
week of pregnancy.
o COMPLICATIONS INCLUDE:
 Cataracts
 Congenital heart defects
 DEAFNESS
 Ear infections
 Mental retardation
 Microcephaly
 Miscarriage
 Stillbirth
CONGENITAL
CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV):
 If a mother gets a CMV infection for the first
time in her life while pregnant, it can be
passed to the fetus during birth.
 CMV presents itself as similar to the
common cold or mononucleosis
 Ability to damage the central nervous
system and auditory system
 At birth, newborn will not have any
symptoms
 As the baby grows, the damage caused by
CMV will become more prevalent
 Preventative measures: washing hands
CONGENITAL ATRESIA OF
THE AUDITORY CANAL:
 Abnormal closure of the external auditory
canal
 Can be bone, tissue, or both
INFECTIOUS –
deafness/hearing loss as a
result to infection
MENINGITIS:
 An infection of the meninges, the
membranes covering/protecting the brain
and spinal cord.
 Of all the common causes of hearing loss,
this one is the most frightening, the most
deadly.
 SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
o Rapid, high fever
o Vomiting
o Headache
o Spots on the body
o Painful joins
o Extreme weakness
o Glazed, faraway eyes
 How does hearing loss come into the
picture??
o Rapid, high fevers can cause singeing of
the cilia, cause irreparable damage!
MEASLES/MUMPS:
 Typically begins with a mild to moderate
fever. Other symptoms that may
accompany:
o Dry cough
o Runny nose
o Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)
o Sensitivity to light
o Tiny white spots with bluish centers
found on the inside of the mouth
o A skin rash made up of large flat blotches
that often flow into one another
 Fever can spike as high as 104* or 105*.
 DEAFNESS/HEARING LOSS may occur as a
result of high fever and damaged cilia.
 A vaccine will protect against measles.
OTITIS MEDIA:
 Commonly known as EAR INFECTIONS
 Among the most common illnesses of early
childhood
 Most children stop having ear infections by
age 4 or 5.
 Middle ear infections occur when germs,
viruses or bacteria get into the middle ear.
(Can start with sore throughs, colds,
respiratory problems, etc.)
 Rapid onset, short duration
 Fluid builds up in the middle ear cavity,
becomes then becomes infected.
 Results in bulging eardrum accompanied by
pain; eardrum may perforate to drain liquid
 Chronic=at least one month long; acute=over
several weeks.
 Children are more susceptible to OM because
of their eustachian tubes – short, parallel to
ground
 Antibiotics are used to treat
 Chronic OM may result in hearing loss –
damage to tympanic membrane and ossicles
 OM in general may result in temporary
minor hearing loss
SCARLET FEVER:
 Caused by an infection of the streptococcus
bacteria
 SYMPTOMS:
o Most obvious- RASH. Rash looks like bad
sunburn with tiny bumps; may be itchy.
Appears on neck and face and leaves an
unaffected area around the mouth. It
then spreads to the rest of the body and
then eventually fades.
o Reddened sore throat
o Fever above 101*
o Swollen glands in neck
o Tonsils have white/yellow spots
o Tongue may have white/yellowish
coating
 Otitis media is a complication of Scarlet
Fever
 If fever becomes too high for a prolonged
amount of time, cilia in the cochlea may
become damaged.
TRAUMATICdeafness/hearing loss as a
result to trauma in the ear of
the head
 Traumatic perforation of the eardrum
 Skull Fracture – temporal bone

ACOUSTIC TRAUMA:
o Injury to the hearing mechanisms in the
inner ear due to very loud noise
o May be caused by:
 An explosion near the ear
 Gunshots
 Long-term exposure to loud noises
o Hearing loss:
 Usually partial and involving highpitched sounds
 May slowly get owrse
o Can cause Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
BAROTRAUMA:
 Pressure-related ear pain
 SYMPTOMS:
o Ear discomfort
o Hearing loss (slight)
o Sensation of fullness or stuffiness in ears
o Dizziness
 May occur from:
o Altitude changes
o Congested nose
o Upper respiratory infection
 COMPLICATIONS:
o Ruptured/perforated eardrum
o Acute ear infection
o Loss of hearing
TOXIC –
deafness/hearing
loss as a result of chemicals
ASPIRIN, ACETAMINOPHEN
and NSAIDs:
 The American Journal of Medicine:
researchers determined that regular use of
aspirin, acetaminophen, and non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases
the risk of hearing loss in men, particularly
in younger men, under the age of 60.
 Aspirin - regular users under 50 and those
aged 50-59 years - 33% more likely to have
hearing loss than were nonregular users, but
there was no association among men aged 60
years and older.
 NSAIDs - regular users aged under 50 were
61% more likely, those aged 50-59 were 32%
more likely, and those aged 60 and older
were 16% more likely to develop hearing
loss than nonregular users of NSAIDs.
 Acetaminophen, regular users aged under 50
were 99% more likely, regular users aged 5059 were 38% more likely, and those aged 60
and older were 16% more likely to have
hearing loss than nonregular users of
acetaminophen.
 Can cause tinnitus
ETHACRYNIC ACID:
 Diuretic – can be used for high blood
pressure, congestive heart failure, liver
failure and kidney failure.
 Ethacrynic acid can cause hearing loss.
Sometimes, this hearing loss is permanent. It
is more common when high doses of
ethacrynic acid are given intravenously or
when combined with other medications that
can cause hearing loss. Let your healthcare
provider know right away if you notice
hearing loss or ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
AMINOGLYCOSIDE
ANTIBIOTICS:
 Used to treat a special type of bacteria
 Broken down easily in the stomach, making
it standard to administer through injection
 When injected, the side effects include
possible damage to the EARS and kidneys.
 This drug is considered ototoxic.
 The hearing loss associated with these
antibiotics is PERMANENT.
AGE RELATED –
gradual
hearing loss due to increase
in age.
PRESBYCUSIS:
 loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most
individuals as they grow older
 Hearing loss is a common disorder
associated with aging
 About 30-35 percent of adults between the
ages of 65 and 75 years have a hearing loss.
 It is estimated that 40-50 percent of people
75 and older have a hearing loss.
 The loss associated with presbycusis is
usually greater for high-pitched sounds
 Most commonly it arises from changes in the
inner ear of a person as he or she ages, but
presbycusis can also result from changes in
the middle ear or from complex changes
along the nerve pathways leading to the
brain.
 most often occurs in both ears, affecting
them equally
 because the loss is gradual, people suffering
from presbycusis may not be aware of their
diminishing hearing.
OCCUPATIONAL –
deafness/hearing loss as a
result of an occupation (job)
that requires exposure to
prolonged loud noises
Occupational hearing loss is damage to the inner ear from noise or vibrations
due to certain types of jobs or entertainment.
Sounds above 90 decibels (dB, a measurement of the loudness or strength of
vibration of a sound), particularly if the sound is prolonged, may cause such
intense vibration that the inner ear is damaged.

90 dB -
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100 dB -
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120 dB -
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130 dB -
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A general rule of thumb is that if you need to shout to be heard, the sound is
in the range that can damage hearing.
Some jobs, such as construction, airline ground maintenance, farming, and
jobs involving loud music or machinery, carry high risk for hearing loss. In the
U.S., the maximum job noise exposure is regulated by law. Both the length of
exposure and the decibel level are considered. If the sound is at or greater than
the maximum levels recommended, protective measures are required.
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Pump up the volume, pump up the volume, pump up the volume – DON’T!
"Audiologists believe tens of thousands of young people are causing serious damage to themselves, and are likely to
suffer tinnitus and loss of hearing in later life. The experts say MP3 players should be designed to prevent people
playing music above 90db, about two-thirds of the maximum volume of a typical device," the report warns.
Apple's device easily exceeds that volume limit - in fact a French law (emulated by Apple across Europe) requires that
the computer company cap the iPods volume, but even the capped maximum still exceeds expert recommendations,
at 100db.
The experts also warn people that they should only listen to their music player for a maximum one hour per day.
TEMPORARY CAUSES OF
HEARING LOSS:
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Build-up of wax in the ear canal
Foreign body lodged in the ear canal
Injury to the head
Allergy
Blocked eustachian tubes
Scarred or perforated eardrums
Ear infections – chronic otitis media
Reaction to a medication