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Providing Eye and Ear
Care
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
1
Objectives
Identify ways that patients can practice
preventive eye care
Describe the anatomy and physiology of
the ear
State ways that hearing changes with age
List the types of hearing loss
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
2
Objectives
Explain the procedures for screening and
diagnosing ear problems
Describe treatment for ear and hearing
disorders
Explain how patients can be educated
about preventive ear care
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
3
The Medical
Assistant’s
Role in Eye
and Ear Care
The Medical Assistant’s
Role in Eye and Ear Care
May involve performing vision and hearing
tests
May assist doctor in providing treatment
Ophthalmic Assistant
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
5
Vision
The Eye
Outer layer
Sclera
Cornea
Middle layer
Choroid
Iris
Pupil
Ciliary body
Lens
Aqueous humor
Vitreous humor
The Eye
The Inner layer
Retina
Nerve cells
Rods
Cones
Accessory Structures
Eye sockets (orbits)
Eyebrows and eyelashes
Eyelids
Conjunctiva
Lacrimal apparatus
Eye muscles
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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The Aging
Eye
Changes That Occur With
Age
 Fat tissue diminishes
 Quality and quantity of tears decrease
 Conjunctiva becomes thinner and drier
 Cornea begins to appear yellow
 Sclera may develop brown spots
 Pupil becomes smaller
 Lens becomes denser and more rigid
 Yellowing of lens causes problems in
distinguishing color
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
11
Changes That Occur With
Age
 Changes in the retina may make vision fuzzy
 Ability to adapt to changes in light intensity
reduced
 Night vision may be impaired
 Peripheral vision reduced
 Vitreous humor breaks down
 Rubbing of the vitreous humor on retina
produces “sparks”
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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Vision Testing
Types of Vision Screening
Tests
Distance vision
Snellen letter chart
20/20
Near vision
Contrast sensitivity
Color vision
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
14
Treating Eye
Problems
Common Eye Problems
Conjunctivitis
Blepharititis
Corneal abrasions
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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Administration of
Medications to the Eye
The medical assistant may
dispense medications
explain their use
Use only medications for ophthalmic use
Avoid touching dropper or ointment tube
tip to the eye
Eye irrigation
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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Vision Aids
Eyeglasses or contact lenses
Prescribed by
Ophthalmologist
Optometrist
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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Hearing
The Ear
Hearing and maintaining balance
Three parts of ear
External ear
Middle ear
Inner ear
External Ear
Auricle
cartilage and skin
Ear canal
Lined with hairs and glands
Produces cerumen
Eardrum separates external ear from
middle ear
Middle Ear
Air-filled cavity
Contains 3 small bones
Malleus (hammer)
Incus (anvil)
Stapes (stirrup)
Eustachian tube
Inner Ear (Labyrinth)
Cochlea
Spiral-shaped canal
Contains shearing receptors
Three semicircular canals
Help maintain balance
The Hearing Process
Sound waves of different frequency
Collect in middle ear
Channeled to eardrum
Waves make eardrum vibrate
Vibrations are amplified by bones of middle ear
Vibrations cause tiny hairs in cochlea to bend
Movements trigger nerve impulses
Transmitted by auditory nerve to brain
Bone conduction
The Ear and Balance
Brain monitors position of body based on
information received from
Semicircular canals
Eyes
Muscles
Brain uses this information to maintain
balance
The Aging
Ear
Changes That Occur With
Aging
 External ear appears larger
 Earlobe gets longer, maybe wrinkled
 Glands that produce cerumen less efficient
 Ear canal becomes narrower
 Eardrum may shrink and appear dull and gray
 Joints between bones in middle ear degenerate
 Semicircular canals become less sensitive,
affecting balance
Hearing Loss
Types of Hearing Loss
Conductive
Caused by interruption in transmission of
sound waves
May be caused by
obstruction of the ear canal
infection of the middle ear
reduced movement of stirrup
Types of Hearing Loss
Sensorineural
Caused by damage to inner ear, to the
nerves, or to the brain itself
Can be hereditary
Can be caused by loud noises or viral
infection
Can be side effect of medicine
Working With Patients
With a Hearing Loss
What problems might you encounter with
hearing impaired patients?
What can you do to improve
communications with the hearing
impaired?
Diagnostic Testing
Tympanometry
Detects diseases and abnormality of
middle ear
Measures air pressure and prints out a
graph
Treating Ear
and Hearing
Problems
Ear Medications and
Irrigation
Administering ear medications
Teaching patients to administer ear
medications at home
Irrigating the ear
Hearing Aids
Obtaining a hearing aid
Otologist
Audiologist
Care and use of hearing aids
Other Devices and
Strategies
Appliances that light up as well as ring
Amplifiers for telephone, TV, radio
Close-captioned television
Summary
You can help prevent, detect, and treat
eye and ear problems
Conditions that affect the eyes and ears
can have an impact on vision, hearing,
and balance, which affects the patient’s
quality of life
Understand basic anatomy and physiology
of eyes and ears
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
37
Summary
Teach patients to care for their own eyes
and ears properly
Comprehend and master the various
vision and hearing tests
Be sensitive to needs of individual patients
Practice administering eye and ear
medications until it becomes second
nature
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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Check Your Understanding
 The outer layer of the eye is made up of
the
A
B
C
D
cornea and sclera
iris and pupil
cornea, iris, and pupil
pupil, retina, cones
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
39
Check Your Understanding
 The outer layer of the eye is made up of
the
A
B
C
D
cornea and sclera
iris and pupil
cornea, iris, and pupil
pupil, retina, cones
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
40
Check Your Understanding
 The protective membrane that lines the
eyelids and covers the anterior of the
schlera is the
A
B
C
D
aqueous humor
vitrious humor
conjunctiva
rods
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
41
Check Your Understanding
 The protective membrane that lines the
eyelids and covers the anterior of the
schlera is the
A
B
C
D
aqueous humor
vitrious humor
conjunctiva
rods
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
42
Check Your Understanding
 In recording vision results, O.S. refers to
the
A Right eye
B Left eye
C Both eyes
D With correction
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
43
Check Your Understanding
 In recording vision results, O.S. refers to
the
A Right eye
B Left eye
C Both eyes
D With correction
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
44
Check Your Understanding
 Cerumen usually accumulates in the
A external ear
B middle ear
C inner ear
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
45
Check Your Understanding
 Cerumen usually accumulates in the
A external ear
B middle ear
C inner ear
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
46
Check Your Understanding
How does hearing change with age and how
might this affect a person’s quality of life?
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
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End of Chapter
Glencoe Medical Assisting, Ch 26; Clinical Procedures, Ch 8
48